Fall 2012 Semester Busy for STJR Program

STJR master's students are keeping busy this fall with courses, internships, assistantships, and travel. Meanwhile, inquiries about 2013 entry are arriving.

The core STJR courses this fall are

• Issues in Science and Technology Journalism
• Reporting Science and Technology

The STJR elective Biomedical Reporting also is being given, and two students are pursuing individualized study in science editing.

Students also are taking science courses of their choice. Among topics of courses chosen are environment, epidemiology, mathematical modeling, and nutrition.

STJR course highlights this semester have included a guest session by freelance writer and editor Mike May. Formerly at American Scientist, May writes about science and technology for a variety of national and international publications. He also manages large publication projects.

Another guest session this semester features STJR students who recently did internships. Their internship sites were

• the American Geophysical Union
• the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases
• the Texas Water Resources Institute/Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resources (TWRI/IRNR).

This semester STJR students are interning at TWRI/IRNR and Fermilab.

STJR students also are gaining experience and financial support through graduate assistantships. Some of the graduate assistants help with writing-intensive courses. Another writes posts for the blog of the Texas A&M biotechnology master's program.

Two STJR students were named National Academies Keck Futures Initiative Science Writing Scholars this fall. They will report on discussions at the conference "The Informed Brain in a Digital World," to be held November 14-17 in Irvine, California.

Earlier in the fall, an STJR student attended the American Medical Writers Association annual conference. Also attending was a Chinese visiting scholar who is auditing STJR courses and doing research.

Inquiries about 2013 entry continue to arrive. Coordinator Dr. Barbara Gastel, at bgastel@cvm.tamu.edu or 979-845-6887, is glad to answer questions. The program also welcomes visits from prospective students.