My journalism has appeared in publications including Scientific American, Nature, Science, Nature Medicine, Chemical & Engineering News and the Chicago Tribune. Selected clips are below.
Recent work
Filter made with tropical tree seeds purges viruses from water Chemical & Engineering News, 4 November 2019
For healthier lakes, rivers, and drinking water, hold the salt Chemical & Engineering News, 4 February 2019
Winter road salt may corrode plumbing and contaminate water for nearby well owners Chemical & Engineering News, 5 December 2018
Looking for lingering health effects of Hurricane Maria Chemical & Engineering News, 17 September 2018
Is grad school for you? Chemical & Engineering News, 10 September 2018
Photocatalyst shreds drinking water contaminant PFOA Chemical & Engineering News, 6 September 2018
Oil and gas wastewater is a cheap fix for road dust but comes at a toxic cost Chemical & Engineering News, 21 June 2018
This chili pepper compound will self-destruct Chemical & Engineering News, 6 June 2018
Otter poop helps scientists track pollution at a Superfund site Scientific American, 18 April 2018
California farms are a silent but sizable source of air pollution Scientific American, 6 February 2018
Oil and gas wastewater leaves radium in Pennsylvania stream sediments Chemical & Engineering News, 6 February 2018
Sunken oil tanker threatens fisheries and marine life in East China Sea Chemical & Engineering News, 18 January 2018
Tropical tree seeds provide sustainable water filtration Chemical & Engineering News, 18 January 2018
“Living ink” laced with microbes makes molecules on demand Scientific American, 1 December 2017
Could a pill one day reverse some of the damage lead inflicts on the brain? Chemical & Engineering News, 17 November 2017
Chemists are uncovering how and why marine organisms synthesize flame-retardant-like molecules Chemical & Engineering News, 18 October 2017
Feature reporting and reviews
Can shellfish adapt to ocean acidification? Chemical & Engineering News, 15 May 2017
Aboard the isotope time machine ACS Central Science, 11 March 2016
Balancing the work-life equation Chemical & Engineering News, 28 March 2016
Thirsty California turns to sea and sewer ACS Central Science, 15 June 2015
Talking with Samantha Arnett on combatting bioterrorism Chemical & Engineering News, 15 September 2014 (subscription required)
Vitamin B12, from 100 years of X-ray crystallography Chemical & Engineering News, 11 August 2014
Heart lessons from spilled oil Chemical & Engineering News, 14 July 2014
Controversy clouds e-cigarettes Chemical & Engineering News, 10 March 2014
Weighing trans fat stand-ins Chemical & Engineering News, 16 December 2013
Moving with the times Chemical & Engineering News, 23 September 2013
Wayfinding in the information age Science, 9 August 2013
Returning carbon to the farm Chemical & Engineering News, 15 July 2013
Geoengineering test fuels debate Chemical & Engineering News, 17 December 2012 (subscription required)
Crowdsourcing chemistry Chemical & Engineering News, 12 November 2012
Plant microbiomes unfurl Chemical & Engineering News, 1 October 2012
Sink or source? Figuring Great Lakes’ role in climate change Chicago Tribune, 16 August 2010
Streams clean up our act Northwest Science & Technology, Fall 2008
News reporting
An easier way to tell fossil fuels from biofuels Chemical & Engineering News, 3 October 2017
Antibiotic resistance could spread through feed at fish farms Chemical & Engineering News, 29 September 2017
Trees with a probiotic boost clean up a carcinogen Chemical & Engineering News, 7 September 2017
Touching thermal receipts may extend BPA exposure Chemical & Engineering News, 25 August 2017
Nutmeg compound is even cooler than menthol Chemical & Engineering News, 28 June 2017 [also in Scientific American]
Polymer network captures drinking water contaminant Chemical & Engineering News, 20 June 2017
Sunlight surprise raises cadmium pollution risk Chemical & Engineering News, 16 June 2017
Very low lead exposure may endanger eagles Chemical & Engineering News, 12 May 2017
Dolphin breath holds chemical clues to disease Chemical & Engineering News, 5 May 2017
Polar bear cubs at high risk from toxic industrial chemicals, despite bans Scientific American, 23 January 2017
Tracking exposure to endocrine disrupters through signals in the sewer Chemical & Engineering News, 3 April 2017
Cutting coal has reduced atmospheric mercury in northeastern U.S. Chemical & Engineering News, 20 January 2017
Some teethers advertised as BPA-free leach the compound Chemical & Engineering News, 22 December 2016
Dams increase mercury exposure for Canadian indigenous communities Chemical & Engineering News, 21 November 2016
Nanosensor reveals temperature variation in the muscles of live creatures Chemical & Engineering News, 3 November 2016
Mercury from WWII submarine wreck pollutes sediments off Norway Chemical & Engineering News, 14 October 2016
Lignin waste could sustainably safeguard titanium-based sunscreen Chemical & Engineering News, 7 October 2016
Membrane coating could remove endocrine disruptors from wastewater Chemical & Engineering News, 19 September 2016
New method casts light on a chicken and egg problem Chemical & Engineering News, 6 September 2016
Fracking air pollution study retracted Chemical & Engineering News, 5 August 2016
New chemicals add concern over e-cigarettes’ health impact Chemical & Engineering News, 2 August 2016
Silk-based hydrogel could deliver sustained chemotherapy to tumors Chemical & Engineering News, 12 July 2016
Mining landfills for resources doesn’t always benefit climate Chemical & Engineering News, 1 July 2016
PCBs and other organic pollutants reach the deep ocean Chemical & Engineering News, 20 June 2016
Gauging the health risk of lead in lipstick Chemical & Engineering News, 25 May 2016
Toxic chemicals from fracking wastewater spills persist for years Chemical & Engineering News, 20 May 2016
Bubbles could be a targeted remedy for ocean acidification Chemical & Engineering News, 1 April 2016
Cheap catalyst converts tough plant lignin into valuable chemicals Chemical & Engineering News, 3 March 2016
Nanoscale system reaches perfect efficiency for solar fuel production step Chemical & Engineering News, 22 February 2016
Artificial clotting agent could treat internal bleeding in combat zones Chemical & Engineering News, 4 February 2016
Researchers turn fish waste into a coffee-scented biofuel Chemical & Engineering News, 15 December 2015
A potentially cheaper way to test food for pesticides Chemical & Engineering News, 1 December 2015
Royal jelly proteins reveal clues to deadly bee disease Chemical & Engineering News, 19 November 2015
Some 3-D-printed parts may leach toxic chemicals Chemical & Engineering News, 13 November 2015
Flushing toilets with seawater could protect marine life Chemical & Engineering News, 10 November 2015
Simple kit tests rice for arsenic Chemical & Engineering News, 30 October 2015
Mealworms munch polystyrene foam Chemical & Engineering News, 30 September 2015
Plant used in traditional Mayan medicine holds potential leishmaniasis treatment Chemical & Engineering News, 11 September 2015
Redesigning drugs for better breakdown in the environment Chemical & Engineering News, 4 September 2015
Nitrate pollution may trigger uranium release into groundwater Chemical & Engineering News, 14 August 2015
Chemical combo captures and destroys micropollutants in water Chemical & Engineering News, 24 July 2015
Recycling rare earths from e-waste more sustainably Chemical & Engineering News, 9 July 2015
Cattle feed yard dust can transport steroids into environment Chemical & Engineering News, 6 July 2015
Gauging the carbon cost of fuel from Canadian oil sands Chemical & Engineering News, 22 June 2015
Disarming superbugs with the aid of a glycolipid gladiator Chemical & Engineering News, 17 June 2015
Persistent industrial pollutants could stymie songbird migration Chemical & Engineering News, 5 May 2015
Artificial photosynthesis device paves way toward sustainable liquid fuel Chemical & Engineering News, 23 April 2015
Fracking activities pollute nearby air with carcinogenic hydrocarbons Chemical & Engineering News, 8 April 2015
Some biodegradable plastics don’t live up to their claims Chemical & Engineering News, 19 March 2015
Siloxanes unexpectedly observed in Antarctic soil and marine life Chemical & Engineering News, 25 February 2015
Bacteria may remain dormant after UV disinfection Chemical & Engineering News, 27 January 2015
Silencing genes in bacteria with the help of their neighbors Chemical & Engineering News, 10 December 2014
Particulates from coal mining community trigger signs of cancer in lung cells Chemical & Engineering News, 3 November 2014
Peeking at a cell’s small molecules Chemical & Engineering News, 22 October 2014
Some atmospheric nanoparticles could have cosmetic sources Chemical & Engineering News, 6 October 2014
Small molecules help reactivate receptor linked with schizophrenia Chemical & Engineering News, 9 September 2014
Synthetic antibodies protect mice from Sudan Ebola virus Chemical & Engineering News, 2 September 2014
Researchers investigate link between phthalates and infertility Chemical & Engineering News, 22 August 2014
Oil dispersant compound persists for years after Gulf spill Chemical & Engineering News, 9 July 2014
Oil sands extraction in Canada leaves mercury footprint Chemical & Engineering News, 13 June 2014
Los Angeles airport pollutes city air for miles downwind Chemical & Engineering News, 30 May 2014
Composting could offer low-cost way to dispose of disease-causing prions Chemical & Engineering News, 23 May 2014
Ionic liquids could enhance spread of antibiotic resistance genes Chemical & Engineering News, 30 April 2014
Seawater survey traces loss of Himalayan glaciers Chemical & Engineering News, 16 April 2014
Microbial reactor could help capture carbon sustainably Chemical & Engineering News, 3 April 2014
Harmful air pollutants build up near oil and gas fields Chemical & Engineering News, 25 March 2014
Beefed up bacteria get the lead out of water Chemical & Engineering News, 17 March 2014
Analytical test could underestimate radioactivity in fracking wastewater Chemical & Engineering News, 6 March 2014
Device mines precious phosphorus from sewage Chemical & Engineering News, 28 January 2014
Electrochemical cell generates hydrogen fuel while cleaning up arsenic Chemical & Engineering News, 14 January 2014
Multidrug resistance gene released by Chinese wastewater treatment plants Chemical & Engineering News, 17 December 2013
Plastic pollution harms marine life Chemical & Engineering News, 9 December 2013
Harvesting power when freshwater meets salty Chemical & Engineering News, 26 November 2013
Sunlight helps turn salty water fresh Chemical & Engineering News, 12 November 2013
Flexible solar cells could release toxic metals after disposal Chemical & Engineering News, 29 October 2013
Funeral pyres release atmosphere-warming aerosols Chemical & Engineering News, 11 October 2013
Better fingerprinting for oil spills Chemical & Engineering News, 16 September 2013
Spongy material puts the squeeze on waterborne disease Chemical & Engineering News, 21 August 2013
Circuit board waste mops up toxic metals Chemical & Engineering News, 1 August 2013
Do-it-yourself spectrometer, Lab in the city Chemical & Engineering News, 19 November 2012
Lamprey antibodies snag sugars linked to cancer Chemical & Engineering News, 19 October 2012
Gold nanosensor signals sheep fertility Chemical & Engineering News, 3 October 2012
Ocean plastics soak up pollutants Chemical & Engineering News, 27 August 2012
Newest Mars rover lands safely Chemical & Engineering News, 6 August 2012
Hypoallergenic vino, wearing wine Chemical & Engineering News, 6 August 2012
Small molecule enables blind mice to respond to light Chemical & Engineering News, 30 July 2012
Superoxide-producing fungus sponges up mine metals Chemical & Engineering News, 26 July 2012
BPA replacements appear in household dust Chemical & Engineering News, 19 July 2012
Could acidification threaten Great Lakes? Chicago Tribune, 16 August 2010
Flexible fossil shows tyrannosaur’s softer side Nature News, 24 March 2005
Oceans extend effects of climate change Nature News, 17 March 2005
World bank pinpoints disaster hot spots Nature News, 30 March 2005
Alzheimer’s seen in the living brain Nature News, 14 March 2005
Health reporting
Many doctors not testing for HIV as recommended Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2010
Shrek lures kids to sugary snacks Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2010
You’re getting very relaxed…: Alternative approaches to labor pain Chicago Tribune, 29 September 2010
For a healthy school year, get your kids vaccinated Chicago Tribune, 11 August 2010
When lice surface, your first move: Relax Chicago Tribune, 10 August 2010
Soldiers battle ‘Baghdad boil’ Nature Medicine, February 2004