SCONC is a professional organization founded in April 2007 in the Research Triangle of North Carolina to provide fellowship and networking among folks who bring science to the public. We include science writers, journalists, public information officers, teachers and institutional communicators working in universities, government labs, industry, museums and schools — just about anyone interested in communicating science. Ours is a big-tent organization.
SCONC Board of Directors
Karl Leif Bates
Founding Board Member, SCONC
Director of Research Communications at Duke University
A former newspaper reporter specializing in science, medicine and environment, Karl heads research communications for all non-medicine units of Duke.
Thania Benios
Board Member
Health and Science Editor
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Thania Benios comes to North Carolina after spending eight years as a science writer in New York City. She is currently the health and science editor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she coordinates coverage of cool research news across campus.
Marla Vacek Broadfoot
Board Member
Freelance Science Writer
Marla Vacek Broadfoot is a geneticist-turned science writer and editor who specializes in biomedical research. Her work has been published by American Scientist, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, Duke University Medical Center, the Mayo Clinic, Science’s Next Wave and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine.
Chris Brodie
Cofounder, Founding Board Member, SCONC
Scientific Liaison at Bioventus
Chris is a molecular biologist and former staffer at American Scientist magazine. As a Fulbright Scholar in Oslo, he helped with science communications for the inaugural Kavli Prizes.
Russ Campbell
Cofounder, Founding Board Member, SCONC
Communications Officer
Burroughs Wellcome Fund
Campbell is an advocate and supporter of science communication and public understanding of science projects. Follow him on twitter at @razoobe.
Catherine Clabby
Board Member
Senior Editor, Life on Earth
Freelance science writer and editor
Catherine Clabby is senior editor of Life on Earth, E.O. Wilson’s digital biology textbook, and a freelance science writer and editor. In earlier chapters she was a senior editor at American Scientist magazine, a Knight Science Journalism Program fellow at MIT and a science reporter for the News & Observer in Raleigh, NC.
Ernie Hood
President, SCONC
Founding Board Member
Freelance Science Writer, Editor, and Podcaster
Hood is based in Hillsborough, North Carolina. He hosts a weekly science radio show, Radio In Vivo: Your Link to the Triangle Science Community.
David Kroll
Board Member
Director of Science Communication
Nature Resource Center
During his 20 years as an award-winning university educator and director of an academic cancer research laboratory, Dr. Kroll also developed scholarly interests in science and medical journalism, science outreach, and the public understanding of science and medicine. Dr. Kroll joined the Museum in January 2012 to more fully pursue these passions in implementing science communication strategies for lay and technical audiences and in educating tomorrow’s scientists as effective science communicators.
Bio
Holly Menninger
Board Member
Director of Public Science for Your Wild Life
Department of Biology at North Carolina State University
An entomologist by training, Dr. Menninger is a science communicator by passion and practice.
Glenn Murphy
Board Member
Author
Glenn Murphy is a bestselling author of popular science books and articles for kids, teenagers and adults. He wrote his first popular science book, Why Is Snot Green? in the summer or 2006, whilst managing the Explainer team at the Science Museum, London.
Robin Smith
Board Member
Communications Manager
National Evolutionary Synthesis Center
Robin is a Scientist-turned-science writer at the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center in Durham, N.C., where she writes about life in the deep sea, atop the world’s highest mountains, and everywhere in between.
Steve Townsend
Board Member
Director of Communications
College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, North Carolina State University
When Steve isn’t writing or rooting for the Wolfpack, he usually can be found cheering on the Durham Bulls or one of the teams from his hometown of Detroit.
Jennifer Weston
Board Member, SCONC
Director of Communications
College of Engineering, North Carolina State University
As director, Weston is responsible for marketing, media relations, graphic design, Web site design and management, and other communications projects.
Bora Zivkovic
Board Member, SCONC
Blogs Editor
Scientific American
Bora Zivkovic is the Blogs Editor at Scientific American, co-founder of ScienceOnline.com, and the series editor of the Best Science Online annual anthology. Coturnix.org
Anton Zuiker
Founding Board Member, SCONC
Director of Communications
Duke University Department of Medicine
Anton is a journalist, blogger and community builder, he lives in Carrboro, N.C. A longtime blogger and an early adopter of social media, Anton is co-founder and chairman of the board of ScienceOnline. Learn more about Anton at mistersugar.com/about.