Team

Co-Founders


Carrie McDonough

I am an assistant professor at Stony Brook University, where I study environmental analytical chemistry. My aim is to develop a comprehensive understanding of how organic contaminants impact aquatic ecosystems and human health by combining innovative environmental chemistry and bioanalytical techniques, state-of-the-art mass spectrometry, and field monitoring campaigns. I earned my Ph.D. in the Lohmann Lab at the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography. Before graduate school, I earned a B.Sc. in chemistry from MIT and spent two years working in environmental consulting. When I’m not doing chemistry in the lab, I’m doing chemistry at home (brewing beer).


Laura Schifman

I earned my PhD from the University of Rhode Island in Environmental Science with a focus on Hydrology in 2014. I have a fascination for the urban environment and clean water. So, what better way to combine that than working in stormwater?
Aside from the sciency stuff I enjoy torturing myself on long bike rides, playing volleyball or tennis, riding horses, making anything edible (I miss the lab work), or playing cards.
Twitter: L_Schifman

Editors-In-Chief

Julia BeboutJulia Bebout

I am a PhD student at the University of California San Diego studying how the timing of germination and flowering shapes plant communities. I'm fascinated by how past environments can affect present and future ecosystems, especially faced with climate change. My favorite things to write about are community ecology, wetland and alpine ecosystems, and regenerative agriculture. I also love hiking, climbing, baking, and dancing! Twitter: @BeboutJulia

Lauren OtolskiLauren Otolski

Hello! I am a third-year PhD student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, studying tropical ecology. I'm specifically interested in decomposition, and how factors like wood and soil nutrients, fungal communities, and wood chemistry interact! I also love writing, playing tabletop and video games, and spending time outside.

Andrea Valcarcel

Having graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Biology from Thompson Rivers University (BC, Canada), I am currently working as the head of an Oceanic Lab in the Dominican Republic while also being an MSc candidate in Ecology and Environmental Sciences. My research so far has been mostly focused on corals and marine mammals and the effects climate change may have in their overall behavior and survival. When not monitoring marine ecosystems, you can find me volunteering with my therapy dog and reading romance and fantasy novels. Twitter: @andreavalcar

English – Spanish Translators


Andrea Valcarcel

Having graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Biology from Thompson Rivers University (BC, Canada), I am currently working as the head of an Oceanic Lab in the Dominican Republic while also being an MSc candidate in Ecology and Environmental Sciences. My research so far has been mostly focused on corals and marine mammals and the effects climate change may have in their overall behavior and survival. When not monitoring marine ecosystems, you can find me volunteering with my therapy dog and reading romance and fantasy novels. Twitter: @andreavalcar

Christina Andrea Alvear
Christina Andrea Alvear

I am a coordinator for a nonprofit organization in San Antonio, Texas. I earned a MS in Biology at the University of Texas at San Antonio. My goal is to make primary research fun and accessible to everyone while connecting with other science writing enthusiasts. I've explored a variety of careers from research, education, and nonprofit mental health, substance abuse, and healthcare programs. When I am not writing or working, I like to lounge around at a coffee shop on a weekend or enjoy a board game with friends.

Authors and Peer-Editors

Christina Andrea AlvearChristina Andrea Alvear

I am a coordinator for a nonprofit organization in San Antonio, Texas. I earned a MS in Biology at the University of Texas at San Antonio. My goal is to make primary research fun and accessible to everyone while connecting with other science writing enthusiasts. I've explored a variety of careers from research, education, and nonprofit mental health, substance abuse, and healthcare programs. When I am not writing or working, I like to lounge around at a coffee shop on a weekend or enjoy a board game with friends.

Renata de MelloRenata de Mello

I'm a biologist and an MSc in Biochemistry who works as a lab technician at KU Leuven (Belgium). Outside the lab, I can be found reading fiction books, cooking Brazilian food, traveling across Europe, and working towards my passion for science and communication.

PJ Donworth

I am an MSc candidate in Organismic Biology at the University of Bonn currently researching the diversity of wild bees in the city of Bonn. I'm interested in writing about insects, conservation, urban ecology, and climate change. I also enjoy include reading and writing, political engagement, hiking, and yoga.

Lauren GlevanikLauren Glevanik

I'm a PhD student at the University of California Los Angeles investigating how seed dispersal contributes to plant coexistence across landscapes. My research connects field measurements with models to get a more realistic picture of how plants move and interact with each other and the environment. While I work with plants, I also love birding and nature photography. You can find me documenting every organism I see on iNaturalist, eBird, or a number of other community science platforms.

Kevin Neumann

I am a PhD candidate at the University of Illinois, studying the effects of environmental changes on animal behavior and ecology. I currently am working on projects on three-spined stickleback fish and ants. In addition to research, I do a lot of science outreach through volunteering at schools and community events. After my PhD, my goal is to work in science policy, pushing for effective conservation policy and increased accessibility of science education. Outside of work I love going to concerts, playing basketball, and doing art in the park with my friends.

Cypress NovickCypress Novick

I am a recent graduate of Occidental College in Los Angeles, California, where I studied for my Bachelor's in Biology. My main research interests are wetlands ecology, mycology, estuary ecosystem interactions, and plant-based trophic interactions. I have always been passionate about making science more available and understandable, and am always trying to improve my writing so I may help myself and others be better understood.

Julia BeboutJulia Bebout

I am a PhD student at the University of California San Diego studying how the timing of germination and flowering shapes plant communities. I'm fascinated by how past environments can affect present and future ecosystems, especially faced with climate change. My favorite things to write about are community ecology, wetland and alpine ecosystems, and regenerative agriculture. I also love hiking, climbing, baking, and dancing! Twitter: @BeboutJulia

Lauren OtolskiLauren Otolski

Hello! I am a third-year PhD student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, studying tropical ecology. I'm specifically interested in decomposition, and how factors like wood and soil nutrients, fungal communities, and wood chemistry interact! I also love writing, playing tabletop and video games, and spending time outside.

Andrea Valcarcel

Having graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Biology from Thompson Rivers University (BC, Canada), I am currently working as the head of an Oceanic Lab in the Dominican Republic while also being an MSc candidate in Ecology and Environmental Sciences. My research so far has been mostly focused on corals and marine mammals and the effects climate change may have in their overall behavior and survival. When not monitoring marine ecosystems, you can find me volunteering with my therapy dog and reading romance and fantasy novels. Twitter: @andreavalcar

Former Contributors

Luiza Aparecido
Chelsea Barreto
Kristina Blank
Kristen Brown
Ashley Bulseco-McKim
Jessica Burnett
Clifton Dassuncao
Abigail Donahue
E.M.B. Doran
Anna Filyushkina
Lindsay Green-Gavrielidis
Anika Hazra
Hannes Keck
Whitney Kroschel
Mary Grace Lemon
Laura Mast
Bianca Ross
Guiomar Ruiz-Perez
Samantha Smith
Kari St. Laurent
Jeannie Wilkening