How did you become a journalist?
I learned the skills of a journalist on the job, without formal training or an academic degree in journalism, thanks to patient editors and persistent self-study.
How did you get started as a writer?
I answered an ad for a science writer at an international astronomical observatory. I worked there for a year, then made the leap to freelance. I started freelancing for an independent newspaper in my hometown, The Haleakala Times, and went on to become a regular contributor to Nature Medicine and Nature. My work has also appeared in Science, Eye on NEI, Hana Hou!, and recently, Dog Fancy and The New York Times.
I also author two popular news sites:“3-Minute Vacation” covers travel and news about Maui and Hawaii; and “The Daily Smell” transforms the olfactory experience into voice and community.
What did you study in school?
My formal academic training was in biomedical sciences, not journalism, culminating in a Master’s-level studies at the University of Hawaii. My thesis project focused on identifying molecular markers of drug resistance in the parasites that cause malaria. A key part of the project was maintaining a culture of malaria parasites in the lab, and I literally gave blood weekly for my graduate research. Prior to that, I studied biology, chemistry and anthropology at Boston University, where I earned a B.A.
How have you grown in your career?
I have continued to develop and hone my reporting and writing skills by participating in workshops and conferences. For example, last year I attended three major events: the Santa Fe Science Writers’ Workshop, the first-ever Future of Freelance conference and that National Association of Science Writers’ annual conference. I also took an online course in essay writing from Mediabistro.com . I gained valuable contacts, feedback and expanded the scope of my work.
Which awards have you won?
Yes, recently I won a fellowship to KDMC and NASW’s Career Grant to develop a digital media project. Prior to that I was a CASW fellow, and in graduate school, I won a graduate assistantship and a research grant from the National Institute’s for Health.
What’s your view of the future of journalism?
That’s the defining question of the day. It’s a challenging time in journalism. Many newsrooms have closed or layed off skilled reporters. It seems at times that we’ve trained a generation of talented journalists only to benefit public relations. It’s frustrating, given the critical role of journalism in our society as a check on government, corporations and others who would abuse civil rights.
But I am optimistic. Independent media presents an opportunity to keep good reporters reporting. I recently completed a fellowship from the Knight Digital Media Center on the campus of the University of California Berkeley, where I learned the digital skills necessary to transition from print journalist to digital media publisher. The learning curve is steep. Now my goal is to develop online news communities using a sustainable business model. My current project is a topical online news community dedicated to the sense of smell,TheDailySmell.com.
What are you working on now?
I am developing an online topical news community dedicated to the senses. I am also researching my first book.