Students' Corner:

IEEE-USA Media Fellow Helps Ohio Listeners See the “Fun” in Science and Engineering

By Chris McManes

Did you know that bees can get drunk? Sarah Harris does. She reported on it this summer for Columbus, Ohio radio station WOSU-AM 820.

Harris recently completed a 10-week fellowship in the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s (AAAS) Mass Media Science and Engineering Fellows Program. IEEE-USA sponsored Harris, an IEEE member who had never worked in radio before, nor been to the Ohio capital.

“I loved it,” said Harris, who’s completing work on her doctorate in electrical engineering at Stanford University. “I would recommend this program to anyone who doesn’t mind doing hands-on interviews and learning new things.”

A Learning Experience

Besides learning about the subjects she covered, Harris had to learn how to operate recording equipment, conduct interviews, gather facts and write in broadcast style. She didn’t have any journalism experience except for some work for her junior high school newspaper. WOSU is a National Public Radio affiliate.

“Sarah was a very quick study in getting up to speed from the technical end,” WOSU Acting News Director Tom Borgerding said. “She really produced some good pieces for us this year.”

Harris completed 14 full stories for WOSU and contributed to many others. Her 10 feature-length pieces ranged from three to five minutes each. She reported on climate change in central Ohio, and did a three-part series on the “Bugs of Ohio.” The series looked at the use of firefly chemicals to study cancer; how the neural patterns of moth’s brains are being used to study human brains; and how a bee’s memory and coordination, when given alcohol, are similar to the effects experienced by a human.

“Sarah was very good in getting interviews that play well on radio,” Borgerding said. “That’s a key element in radio news. And she had to deconstruct some science to make it really palatable to a listening audience.”

A Win-Win for All Involved

Borgerding estimated that WOSU has had an AAAS Mass Media Fellow for the past 15 years. The AAAS program is in its 30th year. “This program really works well for us,” Borgerding said. “From the station’s standpoint, we get a knowledgeable reporter who can work a beat for the entire summer.

“We’re sorry the 10 weeks is up so quickly,” he continued. “Through this fellowship program, we get someone who has broad and deep knowledge about a particular science discipline. So we really try to parlay that into some good radio. “In Sarah’s case, it worked marvelously.”

Allan Schell, former chair of IEEE-USA's Communications Committee, believes strongly in the value of the fellowship program. “The mass media fellows program has been an effective way to add a technical voice into the mainstream media,” Schell said. “It’s an excellent opportunity for a young engineer to participate in a major news organization.”

Increasing Awareness

Harris hopes her work helped changed the way WOSU listeners view science and engineering. “I think it’s vital we get science out there and help people realize how fun and exciting it is,” she said. “I think science can often come across as really dull and mundane in our textbooks, but it’s not. It’s vibrant, it’s changing; we’re gaining new information each day. I think the more aware we are about it, the more we can enjoy it.”

Having earned her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Brigham Young University in 1995, Harris is now working as a visiting assistant professor at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, Calif. She’s teaching engineering and computer design courses.

IEEE-USA Media Fellows: Where Are They Now?

Harris is the latest in a string of distinguished IEEE-USA Mass Media Fellows. The first, Elan Ruskin (2000), works for Naughty Dog, Inc. of Santa Monica, Calif., a video entertainment company that makes PlayStation2 games. Rob Barnett (2002) works for Cambridge (Mass.) Energy Research Associates and helps to model the impact of proposed environmental policy on the North American power industry. Dr. Joy Ku (2003) — who told Harris about the Fellowship — is teaching and helping to design core classes for Stanford’s new bioengineering department.

For a sampling of Harris’ work and more information on IEEE-USA’s Mass Media Fellowship program, go to www.ieeeusa.org/communications/massmedia.html.

About the Program

By placing advanced science, engineering and mathematics students in media outlets across the United States, AAAS uses its Mass Media Science and Engineering Fellows Program (http://ehrweb.aaas.org/massmedia.htm) to help increase public understanding of science and technology. Fellows often have to explain complex scientific and engineering principles in a way the general public can understand. A budding scientist or engineer who can communicate well is a boon both to the newsrooms and the public-at-large.

Chris McManes is IEEE-USA’s senior public relations coordinator. He can be reached at c.mcmanes@ieee.org.