Laura G. Shields | Science Writer
About Me
As an eight-year-old, I wrote a newsletter warning my neighbors that pollution was ripping a hole in the ozone layer. I never distributed the newsletter, but I still wanted to educate others about environmental problems; I just needed to find a better way.
In high school, I fell hard for the world of atoms when I realized that unlocking the secret code of chemistry explained everything around me. I later studied how pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter harm air quality, merging my passions for chemistry and environmental issues and earning my Ph.D.
In Australia years later, I patrolled beaches to count nesting sea turtles. When I wrote a travel magazine article about how poaching and other threats hurt these creatures, I realized I had finally found a better way to share science.
In 2017, I started the science communication program at the University of California, Santa Cruz. I sharpened my storytelling tools in class and at various writing and multimedia internships.
I hope to spread the marvel of science and environmental stewardship with my new skills.