The National Association of Science Writers is pleased to announce the results of its 2024 board election. The new NASW Board of Directors officially begins their term on Monday, Nov. 11, coinciding with ScienceWriters2024 in Raleigh.
NASW, being a volunteer-led professional membership organization, owes a great deal of gratitude to everyone who put their name forth for candidacy. Running for board leadership is a reflection of each candidate’s belief in the importance and role of NASW for its membership and to society — a sense of duty and commitment to volunteer service that has successfully guided the organization for ninety years.
Now, please meet the 2024-2026 NASW Board of Directors:
Sandeep Ravindran | he/him
Freelance
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandeepr1
A freelance science journalist with bylines in The New York Times, TIME, Smithsonian, National Geographic, Science, Nature, WIRED, and other outlets, Sandeep is now serving his fourth term on the NASW Board, having served as vice president for the past two years and treasurer and secretary over preceding terms. Additionally, in 2023 and 2024 Sandeep chaired the NASW Programs Committee, which curates the NASW professional development sessions and plenaries for the annual ScienceWriters national conference.
Shraddha Chakradhar | she/her
Deputy Editor, Diversity for Science
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shraddha-chakradhar-a7212341
With past career stops at Nieman Journalism Lab, STAT, and Nature Medicine, Shraddha enters her third term on the NASW Board, having served as board treasurer and chair of the NASW Finance and Audit Committee this past term, and as co-chair of the Diversity Committee from 2016-2019 . Shraddha now takes on the role of NASW Programs Committee chair, shaping the future of NASW professionals development conferences and other activities.
Kat Eschner | any pronouns
Lead Researcher and Segment Producer, TVO (Canada)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-eschner
Like many other members, Kat’s first exposure to NASW came at our annual conferences. Since then, Kat has been active in NASW by organizing ScienceWriters professional development sessions and by volunteering with the David Perlman Virtual Mentoring Program, as well as her board duties. She is based in Toronto and is entering her second term on the NASW Board.
Jyoti Madhusoodanan | she/her
Freelance and AHCJ Civic Science Fellow
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jyoti-madhusoodanan-b53a8112
An independent journalist with bylines in Scientific American, Nature, Discover magazine, and a senior contributor at Undark magazine, Jyoti is currently completing a year-long Civic Science fellowship at the Association of Healthcare Journalists. A co-chair of the NASW Awards Committee from 2018 to 2022 and a past member of the Standing Ethics committee, Jyoti now enters her third term serving on the NASW Board, most recently serving as secretary.
BOARD MEMBERS-AT-LARGE
Freelance
https://www.linkedin.com/in/allakatsnelson
Having reported on life sciences for publications including Nature, Chemical & Engineering News, The New York Times, and Men’s Health and produced content for a variety of research institutions, foundations and companies, Alla has claimed NASW as her professional community for more than 15 years. A past co-chair of the NASW Awards Committee, Alla begins her first term on the NASW Board.
Freelance
https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-heidt
Now entering her second term, Amanda has previously co-organized two NASW Science Writers Roundtable public talks and a virtual plenary on science writing and A.I., and is currently developing new policies for handling member conduct disputes. Spanning a career that has included stints as a staff writer, PIO, and freelancer, Amanda’s work can be found in Science, Nature, NPR, Scientific American, and The New York Times, among other outlets.
Freelance
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariana-remmel-976b898b
Ariana is an independent reporter and audio producer covering a mix of national and local news for outlets such as the Arkansas Times, Audubon, BirdNote, Nature, and Science. Ari is a past recipient of the NASW Diversity Summer Fellowship and an active volunteer with the NASW Education Committee and the NASW Awards Committee. Ari begins their first term on the NASW Board.
Publications Manager for the Santa Fe Institute
https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherinemast
An active volunteer on the NASW Programs Committee and past volunteer with the NASW Conflict of Interest Working Group and recipient of the NASW Peggy Girshman Idea Grant, Katie begins her first term on the NASW Board. She launched her science-writing career at High Country News before taking on magazine, nonprofit contracts, and fact-checking assignments as a freelancer. She now works in institutional communications at the Santa Fe Institute.
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Content Strategy for the University of Wisconsin-Madison
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellytyrrell
Kelly begins her second term on the NASW Board, having volunteered in previous years as co-chair of the NASW PIO Committee as a co-organizer of past conference plenaries and in service to the NASW Diversity Committee and the NASW Education Committee. Her varied career stops have spanned regional newspapers, freelancing and higher education leadership. She also authored her first book, about the history of Wisconsin’s Washburn Observatory, in May 2024, and serves as engagement editor for the science journalism non-profit, The Open Notebook.
Senior News Director, Science, for Washington University in St. Louis
https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-shaffer-8a73473
Leah begins her first term on the NASW Board. She worked as a community journalist in Minnesota for a decade before transitioning to freelancing, crediting the support of the NASW member community as part of that success. She currently writes about brain science and engineering at Washington University in St. Louis. Integrating her journalism and institutional experiences, Leah believes in the importance of transparency in sharing stories about science.
Chief Medical Writer (Retired) for The Associated Press
https://www.linkedin.com/in/marilynn-marchione-37b40226
Bringing 17 years of experience with AP plus past careers with large urban newspapers and a university news service, Marilynn now continues her NASW board service for a third term, as well as her work on the NASW Finance and Audit Committee. Marilynn brings a wealth of insights and ideas from working in and observing the news media industry over many decades.
Freelance
https://www.linkedin.com/in/marlabroadfoot
An active NASW volunteer, Marla is now beginning her second board term. She moderated a ScienceWriters Roundtable on mental health and self-care for journalists facing tough transitions and worked to formalize the board’s approach to issuing statements on science writing issues. As a member of the ScienceWriters 2024 Steering Committee and a past president of the Science Communicators of North Carolina, she helped to bring the annual meeting to Raleigh. She is a contributing editor at American Scientist and an alum of the Rosalynn Carter Mental Health Journalism Fellowship. Marla’s work has appeared in Scientific American, Science, STAT, Smithsonian, Knowable, Discover, Nature News, and Science News, among others.
Associate Editor with Chemical & Engineering News
https://www.linkedin.com/in/priyanka-runwal-186a66145
Priyanka moved from India to the United States in 2018 to pursue a career in science journalism. Her bylines have appeared in The New York Times, Scientific American, and National Geographic, in addition to covering the COVID-19 pandemic and other health and medicine stories as National Geographic’s resident reporter. Priyanka begins her first term on the NASW Board.
Freelance
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramin-skibba-1015394
Ramin is a former staff writer with WIRED and a former astrophysicist, and now he freelances for outlets including Scientific American, Slate, The Atlantic, Rolling Stone, and Undark. Bringing past experience as president of the San Diego Science Writers Association, Ramin begins his third term on the NASW Board, where he has led policy statements on A.I. and labor and organized Science Writers Roundtables.
Staff Writer for Science
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodrigoperezortega
Reelected to his third term on the NASW Board, Rodrigo is a past recipient of the NASW Diversity Summer Fellowship. Paying forward his experience, Rodrigo has served as past co-chair of the NASW Diversity Committee and helped launch the inaugural Mid-Career Mentoring Program via the NASW Journalism Committee. He has bylines in The New York Times, Nature Medicine, El País, and other outlets, and is Editorial Director of The Open Notebook en Español. He is based in Mexico City.
NASW extends its sincere appreciation to departing board members: Ana Gorelova, first elected in 2022; Cassandra Willyard, first elected in 2018 and finishing her service as President; Jane C. Hu, first elected in 2020; Matt Shipman, first elected in 2016; and Tyler Jones, first elected in 2022. Their combined 22 years of service came at a pivotal time for NASW — especially over this past term, as the board undertook a strategic planning process to chart NASW priorities and directives for coming years. Further gratitude goes to the nearly 400 NASW Professional Members who participated in this year’s election. Thank you for your personal participation in charting the future of NASW.
Members, colleagues, and media industry partners and peers are all invited to reach out to our newly elected board members in the coming two-year term. The National Association of Science Writers is but one of many membership associations working to advance professions and professionals in news media and communications — and we invite your engagement and collaboration with us to meet our shared challenges and opportunities ahead.
The 2024-26 NASW Board of Directors
Founded in 1934 with a mission to fight for the free flow of science news, NASW is an organization of ~2,400 professional journalists, authors, editors, producers, public information officers, students and people who write and produce material intended to inform the public about science, health, engineering, and technology. To learn more, visit www.nasw.org and follow NASW on LinkedIn and Bluesky. And join us in celebrating #NASW90th.
A 501(c)(6) organization, the NASW board has governance and fiduciary duties over the organization. Elections are open to NASW holding Professional Membership and are held every two years. For complete bylaws, visit www.nasw.org/constitution-and-bylaws-national-association-science-writers-inc
Per NASW bylaws, a board vice president is voted in as president-elect. Thus, the vice president of the previous board term is the de facto candidate for president in each election. For a historic list of NASW presidents since 1934, visit www.nasw.org/past-presidents
To reach the NASW Board, email president@nasw.org
