Ten of the World's Leading Science Writers Participate in a Town Hall Meeting

10-03-2006

Ten of the world's leading science writers and journalists will discuss scientific issues and field questions in the Commons of the Lawson Computer Science Building on Thursday, Oct. 5th at 10:30 a.m. Moderator Moira Gunn, host of TechNation and Biotech Nation on NPR, will lead laureates and faculty in discussion on the future of science journalism and shifts in reporting due to changes in technology, namely the advent of the Internet. Laureates will examine the role of science journalism in research, discovery, or entrepreneurship cycles. They will also ponder which issues are the most important and most misunderstood in science reporting today.

Purdue's ten laureates represent a diverse sampling of the most prestigious science journalists and writers working today. The laureates and their affiliations are:

• Clive Cookson - Science journalist at The Financial Times, London.
• David Ewing Duncan - Science journalist, contributor to Nature and other science publications, and regular NPR and PBS contributor.
• Joel Garreau - Author of "Radical Evolution", journalist and editor at The Washington Post.
• Simon Grose - Science and technology editor, Canberra Times.
• Moira Gunn - Science journalist, creator of NPR's TechNation and BiotechNation, and Purdue Science and Engineering alumna.
• Joan Leach - Editor, Social Epistemology, and Convener, Science Communications Program at the University of Queensland.
• Nuala Moran - Science journalist, editor, Science/Business, BioWorld, former managing editor, Nature, former deputy editor, Computer Weekly.
• Apoorva Mandavilli - Senior news editor, Nature Medicine.
• Jason Pontin - Science journalist, editor-in-chief, Technology Review, the MIT magazine of innovation.
• Jeff Young - Senior editor, The Chronicle of Higher Education.

The participating faculty members are:

• Prof. Patricia Davies - School of Mechanical Engineering.
• Prof. Joe Francisco -Departments of Chemistry and Earth and Atmospheric Sciences.
• Prof. Herb Moskowitz - Krannert School of Management.
• Dr. James Mullins - Dean, University Libraries.
• Prof. William Muir - College of Agriculture.
• Prof. Howard Sypher - Head, Department of Communications.

The town hall meeting will be videotaped. Overflow space will be provided.