UFCJC Alumnus Receives Prestigious National Science Communication Award
University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications (UFCJC) alumnus Zack Savitsky, B.S. Public Relations 2021, is the recipient of an Eric and Wendy Schmidt Award for Excellence in Science Communications presented by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine in partnership with Schmidt Sciences. Savitsky was the top prize winner in the Science Journalist: Early Career category for three published articles: “The Quantum Phantum,” “In a Fierce Desert, Microbe ‘Crusts’ Show How Life Tamed Land” and “Lifting the Veil.”
The winners will be honored in Pasadena, California, in December 2024.
The prestigious awards recognize science journalists, research scientists and science communicators who have developed creative, original work to communicate issues and advances in science, engineering and medicine to the general public.
According to the judges, “Zack Savitsky’s excitement jumps off the page as he seeks to answer some of humanity’s most profound questions, such as how life started on Earth, whether we’re alone in the universe and how we can wield nature to our will. By combining scientific discovery with personal stories, he weaves together captivating narratives with informative science content, making his work widely accessible. Savitsky’s writing is brilliant, intriguing, and deeply memorable.”
A total of 24 awards, split among eight categories, were announced — nine awards for science communication by research scientists, nine awards for science journalists, and six awards for science communicators. In each category, one $40,000 top prize and two $20,000 awards were given, totaling $640,000.
Zavitsky was profiled in 2020 while a student at UFCJC, about his passion for science journalism.
Posted: October 28, 2024
Category: Alumni News, College News, Science Communication News
Tagged as: Engineering and Medicine, Eric and Wendy Schmidt Award for Excellence in Science Communications, National Academies of Science, Public Relations, Zack Savitsky
