Pulitzer Center Fellow, Grantees Awarded for Excellence in Science Communications

On October 24, 2024, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine announced the 24 winners of the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communications, given in partnership with Schmidt Sciences, a philanthropic organization that supports science and technology research. Among the winners were two Pulitzer Center grantees and a current Ocean Reporting Network Fellow. 

Each of the eight categories has one top prize and two additional awards. The winners were chosen from among 600 entries for works published or aired in 2023. The selection committee included media, science, and other communications professionals. 

Miguel Dobrich, a grantee of the Pulitzer Center's Our Work/Environment reporting initiative, which covers the intersection of climate change and labor, won in the Science Journalist, Local/Regional category. For science and technology news website Amenaza Roboto, which hosts Uruguay's only data and climate journalism vertical, Dobrich and his team combined local reporting with scientific research, LiDAR, and satellite analysis to give a broad view of how rising seas are impacting vulnerable groups of workers along Uruguay’s coast: artisanal fishermen, domestic workers, and commuters. At this year’s Our Work/Environment Dialogues webinar event, Dobrich spoke on how the methodology of his project shows these direct impacts of climate change on laborers along the Uruguayan coast. Amenaza Roboto has also made publicly available the databases created through the project. 

The winner of the top prize in the Science Journalist, Local/Regional category is grantee Clare Fieseler for previous work in the Charleston, South Carolina, outlet The Post and Courier. For the Pulitzer Center, Fieseler covered the history of deep sea mining in the Atlantic, and how one scientist took on studying its effects. Her story linked the history of the first deep sea mining venture to the future of the practice as the Southeastern U.S. positions itself as a hub for EV manufacturing. “The more I dug into it, I realized that it was this historic discovery that had the potential to impact global diplomacy, and also the mining of 60% of our planet,” Fieseler commented in an interview with Pulitzer Center alum Alexandra Byrne earlier this year.

Alec Luhn, a current Ocean Reporting Network Fellow at the Pulitzer Center, was named a winner in the Science Journalist, Freelance category. Among the works featured by the National Academies were two of Luhn’s stories produced with support from the Pulitzer Center for his project Why Are Alaskan Rivers Rusting? Each tackles the challenges faced by Alaskans as climate change causes frozen conditions to thaw, threatening ecosystems and challenging infrastructure. Luhn’s latest work for the Pulitzer Center as an ORN Fellow aims to cover how politicians, entrepreneurs, and scientists are testing the limits of carbon sequestration in ocean ecosystems.

“Science makes our modern world possible, fueling advances that we all depend upon to lead healthy, productive lives,” said National Academy of Sciences President Marcia McNutt in a press release. “Yet all too often, scientific knowledge and discovery feel distant or inaccessible to many people. These gifted award winners welcome everyone into science through their works, employing powerful storytelling, compelling insights, and humor to engage our imaginations and stir our hearts.” 

The Pulitzer Center is proud to partner with these innovative science communicators. Explore our website to learn more about our grant offerings and outreach opportunities as we strive to make complex issues relevant and inspire action.