I’m a Malaysian-born science writer, and I cover just about anything that sparks my fancy, which is a lot. My favorite stories are those that feature local communities and unfurl a little closer to my motherland.
My freelance work has appeared in National Geographic, Scientific American, Hakai Magazine, Slate, Science News, Science News for Students, and elsewhere. In 2021, I was a AAAS Mass Media Fellow at Smithsonian Magazine and an editor for Massive Science. I’m currently an editorial intern at Popular Science, where I had the utmost privilege to interview NIAID director Dr. Anthony Fauci and American Winter Olympics figure skating medalist Mirai Nagasu for my articles. I’ll soon be starting my Early-Career Fellowship with The Open Notebook/Burroughs Wellcome Fund in April.
In a past life, I was a scientist studying the physics of nanoscale materials. I’m in the home stretch of my PhD at the University of Chicago, expecting to graduate in the spring of 2022. In 2016, I received a B.S. in chemical engineering from Caltech.
My recreational interests are as broad as my beat. I dabble in the visual arts, backpack in snowy-mountain-land whenever I can find a hiking buddy, and am a dilettante sportswoman. I’m usually down to play any sports. I was a NCAA Division III college athlete in fencing, and I won’t hesitate to tell you that I fenced saber and only saber, because I think it’s hands-down the coolest weapon of all the three.
The second photo was taken by the talented Mike Wong. Both photos were also edited by him.
Shi En Kim 