What is Science Metropolis?
Finally, an online resource for ’science hobbyists’ in the Boston and Cambridge area. This site is for anyone who eventually flips to The Discovery Channel on a Sunday afternoon, chooses New Scientist over Vogue on the magazine stand, or just loves to learn about what makes their city a science metropolis.
This site began in January 2008 as a graduate student’s independent study of blogging, and now with the support of the Harold G. Buchbinder Entrepreneurial Media Studies Competition judges, is the first stop for Bostonians to learn about science-related events and news in their community.
Science Metropolis supports visitor interaction – both in the digital and physical world. While you’re here, check out the calendar of science events and links to resources in and around the area, join our book club or take part in one of several contests going on throughout the year.
This is also a place for writers. Imagine a community for businesses looking to attract customers to science-related activities, students inspired by their physics class and parents looking for ways to expose their kids to science, technology and engineering. If you would like to be a writer, know of an event I don’t, or would like to contribute in some way, e-mail Joseph at jcaputo@sciencemetropolis.com.
In the News:
Boston Globe (5/18/08) Science blogger is putting his talents where his typing is by Marc Larocque
Staten Island Advance (6/8/08) Applause
Who’s on the team?
Joseph Caputo – Editor/Writer
I am a 23 year old graduate of the science journalism program at Boston University. I am originally from New York City – Staten Island specifically. I attended Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan and went to college at Sarah Lawrence in Westchester. I enjoy newspapers and keep a virtual file of every science story I read.
My science writing heroes are Andrew Revkin, Carl Zimmer, Chris Mooney, Diana Kenney and Phil Hilts. My favorite magazines are SEED, Wired, Smithsonian and The New Yorker. My background is in biology, although I do dabble in the other subjects. I particularly like subjects that blur the lines between science,society and policy. I am also a freelancer. For a list of clips, visit my portfolio.
Nuño Domínguez – Writer
I am a Spanish science journalist currently pursuing a master’s degree in science journalism at Boston University under a Fulbright scholarship. I am originally from Madrid, where I went to high school and later earned a degree in Journalism at Universidad Complutense. I have worked as a reporter for magazines, newspapers and news agencies, covering politics, education and science. I love to explore and write about biology, energy and the environment. While in Boston, I am a science correspondent of Publico, a Spanish daily based in Madrid, and an assistant producer of science documentaries. For a list of clips, visit my portfolio.
Roxane Palmer – Intern
I graduated from Brown University in 2008 with a bachelor’s in English (ask me about Herman Melville’s Civil War poetry! Really!), but also with a significant number of science classes under my belt. Now I’m a grad student in the Boston University science journalism program. My background is mostly in ecology and evolutionary biology, but I am interested in all areas of science. The magazines I read most regularly are the New Yorker, Scientific American, The Economist, and MAD magazine (but only for the articles). I’m also an amateur political cartoonist and illustrator. For a list of clips, visit my portfolio.
Jennifer Berglund – Intern
I’m a graduate student in the Science and Medical Journalism Program at Boston University. My love for science began with the outdoors. Growing up in Tennessee, I was surrounded with lovely landscapes and a level of biodiversity that exceeds any location in North America. Naturally, I developed an appreciation and a curiosity for the natural world that has remained with me throughout my life. As a science journalist, I want to make science tangible and fun for normal people because I feel like no one should have to be a scientist to love and understand it.
Whenever I have time to spare, I love going on adventures, indoor vegetable gardening, brewing beer, and watching jazz and bluegrass around Boston. I write for Science Metropolis because it’s pretty darn fun. For a list of clips, visit my portfolio.
Julia Darcey – Writer
My name is Julia Darcey, and I am a graduate student in Boston University’s Science Journalism program. I grew up in Denver, Colorado, and got my B.S. in Biology from Cornell University, where I researched climate change. All I really want in life is to write about science as well as Stephen J. Gould.
I am interested in the environment, and though I enjoy writing about other subjects, my mission as a science journalist is to cover our degradation of the natural world. My goal is to never write an article about an environmental problem without also giving information about how that problem can be fixed. For a list of clips, visit my portfolio.
Rachel Blumenthal – Columnist
After growing up in Sharon, Massachusetts, I spent five years in Rochester, New York, first as a neuroscience major at the University of Rochester and then as an Alzheimer’s research lab technician for a year after graduation. Unhappy in research but still in love with science, I knew there was a different career path that would be a better fit for me. Now I’m back in Boston, studying science journalism at Boston University. When I’m not writing about science, I’m indulging in a few hobbies. A lifelong musician, I enjoy learning any instrument I can get my hands on. I’ve recently become a photography hobbyist; many of my photos are posted here. I also write about my restaurant adventures around Boston at my food blog, Fork It Over, Boston! For a list of clips, visit my portfolio.
Melissa Barrett – Poetry Editor
Melissa Barrett is a writer and teacher from Ohio. She enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with amazing people. She advocates the vegetarian diet and Jeb Bush in 2008. Just kidding about that last one.
Barrett attended Wittenberg University for her undergraduate and recently earned an a M.F.A in poetry from Sarah Lawrence College. In her spare time, she sells vegan baked goods, volunteers and travels with her family.
Lauren Rugani – Writer
I am a science journalism graduate student at Boston University and a recent graduate of Syracuse University, where I majored in Physics. I spent a year and a half writing for Photonics Spectra and Biophotonics International, which are trade magazines in the photonics (light-based technologies) industry. I like to write about emerging technologies and “future science,” especially things that are relatively unknown to the general public. I am also a published poet, and so I help Joe with each month’s science Rap-Up. My favorite science magazines are Wired, New Scientist and Scientific American.
Aspasia Daskalopoulou – Writer/Photographer
My love for science documentaries, radio and art “drove” me from Greece -my home country- to Boston in 2007, where I study science journalism at Boston University. There, I discovered the magic and power of writing. I never expected it to become my second love. Having a background in environmental science, my goal is to communicate science, specifically environmental issues, to audiences in an informative and entertaining way.
Eva Zadeh - Videographer
Originally from Paris, France, I arrived in Boston in 2006 to study journalism at Boston University. During my Master’s program, I took a radio class, and since then, I’ve decided to start producing audio science stories.
I also have a master’s degree in Physics, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences; but I’d rather produce stories about the human brain. I particularly like subjects that deal with memory and consciousness. My favorite science magazines are SEED and New Scientist. And my favorite science radio show is RadioLab.
Dr. Natalia Mackenzie – Contributing writer
Jeff Meredith – Contributing writer
A Very Special Thanks to: Michael Balter, Brian Cohen, Douglas Starr, Ellen Rupel Shell and Jodi Turek.