Southwest Environment, Stories written by University of Arizona students in the Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science

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students work on a story for class Students from the spring of 2010 consider possible photos to run with a story. From left, Eddie Bastidas, Will Ferguson, Cassie Fausel and Michelle Kostuk.

We’re living in an age where scientific information keeps increasing, yet the newspapers that help distill the information are struggling to survive. At the same time, anyone with an internet connection can become a published writer.This course strives to help people who are interested in writing about science hone their skills so they can become effective published writers.

Writing effectively about environmental science for a general audience requires:

an ability to understand complex scientific concepts; and
the skills to turn these ideas into stories that will engage a reader.

The course unites science students and journalism students so, together, they learn to turn science into stories. First, they learn more about the art of science writing through readings and exercises and lectures. Then they refine their stories by guiding each other in workshop groups and in one-on-one editing sessions with instructor Melanie Lenart, a practicing scientist and former newspaper reporter who continues to write for publications including The New Southwest and High Country News.

The results of these efforts can be found on the Stories link. For more background on the course, go to About the Course.

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