Spring Opportunities Workshop 2023

Abstract:  Susan D’Agostino earned a PhD in mathematics at Dartmouth College, taught for years as a tenured mathematics professor, and subsequently left academe for science journalism. Her math and science stories have since been published in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Scientific American, Wired, Quanta Magazine, National Public Radio, BBC, and Inside Higher Ed where she is the technology reporter. But how—and, importantly, why—does a mathematician become a journalist? In this talk, Susan will share some of her articles and provide evidence that, in this time of science denialism, mathematicians who write about math and science in newspapers and magazines have an opportunity to “teach” in a way that boosts science literacy and enhances the public good. She will also highlight pieces of her journey, including challenges and rewards along the way.