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Administrative Message

May 22, 2006

To: Campus Community

From: Stephen Thorsett, Dean of the Division of Physical and Biological Sciences

Re: New Director of Science Communication Program

It is with great pleasure that I announce the appointment of Robert Irion as the new Director of the Science Communication Program. Many of you may already be familiar with Rob as an alumnus and instructor in the program, as well as having served for nine years as the Senior Public Information Science Writer at UCSC several years ago.

Rob received his degree in Earth and Planetary Sciences from MIT and has extensive experience as a science journalist. He is currently a contributing correspondent for Science as well as writing for Discover, Sky & Telescope, California Wild, and the New York Academy of Sciences. He has won national science writing awards from the American Institute of Physics for his coauthored book, One Universe: At Home in the Cosmos (Joseph Henry Press, 2000) and from the American Astronomical Society's High-Energy Astrophysics Division for a feature in Science. As evidenced by his long list of publications, many in top-rated journals, he has clearly established himself as a recognized leader in his field. He has also served as President and is currently Treasurer of the Board of Directors for the Northern California Science Writers Association. Rob brings enthusiasm and vision for the future of the program while fully acknowledging the Science Communication Program's current distinction and uniqueness.

Since the Science Communication Program was started in 1981 by founding director John Wilkes, UCSC has become known nationally and internationally for producing science writers and illustrators of the highest caliber. The program consists of two separate graduate certificate programs, one in science writing and another in science illustration (the illustration program is now offered through UCSC Extension). Graduates of the science writing program include writers for major metropolitan newspapers and national magazines, radio and television reporters, designers of exhibits for aquariums and museums, and authors of popular books.

John was among UCSC's first students (Cowell College, class of '67) and received all his academic degrees from UCSC, earning a Ph.D. in literature in 1973. He began teaching undergraduate courses in science writing at UCSC in the 1970s, directed the MIT master's program in science writing from 1979 to 1981, then returned to UCSC to establish the Science Communication Program.

John retired last year but generously returned to provide the needed leadership for the program this year while we searched for a new director. Please join me in welcoming Rob into this new role and in extending our sincere appreciation to John for his unwavering dedication over the years to build and sustain a program that is widely regarded as one of the best science writing programs in the world.

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