National Academies Announce 2025 Winners of Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communications — $640,000 Awarded
Oct 23, 2025
News Release | Oct. 23, 2025
WASHINGTON — The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine announced today this year’s recipients of the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communications, given by the National Academies in partnership with Schmidt Sciences. These 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.
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.
The winners will be honored Nov. 11-14, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
“As chair of the selection committee, I am absolutely thrilled to celebrate this year’s honorees, whose creativity and clarity make science, engineering, and medicine tangible for people everywhere,” said selection committee chair Megan L. Ranney, a member of the National Academy of Medicine and dean of the Yale School of Public Health. “These outstanding communicators remind us that knowledge becomes powerful when it is shared. By reaching across disciplines, mediums, and communities, they not only inform but also inspire, helping all of us see how science shapes our daily lives and our shared future. It is a privilege to recognize their work, and I look forward to the new ways they will spark curiosity and connection in the years ahead.”
“Science offers hope for a better future for all of us,” said National Academy of Sciences President Marcia McNutt. “However, to fully reap the benefits of discovery and innovation, it’s more important than ever to invite as many people as possible into science. Our outstanding award winners are meeting diverse audiences where they are and empowering them to make informed decisions for themselves and their communities. I am delighted to honor these exemplary communicators with these awards.”
“Science communication can make the difference between understanding and incomprehension, between misinformation and truth, and in matters of health, between life and death,” said Wendy Schmidt, co-founder of Schmidt Sciences. “When both science and journalism are struggling from loss of funding and talent, it becomes ever more important to support insightful, dogged storytellers like today’s winners in their efforts to lead us toward knowledge and the power that comes with it.”
Chosen by a selection committee from nearly 700 entries for works published or aired in 2024, the recipients are:
Science Journalist: Freelancer
Top Prize Winner: Rebecca Boyle for
- “OUR MOON: How Earth’s Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are” (Random House)
- “The ‘Beautiful Confusion’ of the First Billion Years Comes Into View” (Quanta Magazine)
- “The Great Eclipse / How the Eclipse Will Change Solar Science Forever” (Scientific American)
Rebecca Boyle’s luminous storytelling brings new wonder to familiar cosmic subjects. Her book Our Moon and articles across outlets weave history, personal narrative, and scientific discovery into writing that is at once authoritative and deeply engaging. With clarity, grace, and curiosity, she makes astrophysics and space science accessible to broad audiences, reminding readers why the cosmos matters to our lives on Earth.
Winners:
Science Journalist: Early Career
Top Prize Winner: Calli McMurray, The Transmitter, for
- “A Scientific Fraud. An Investigation. A Lab in Recovery.” (The Transmitter)
- “Knowledge Gaps in Cephalopod Care Could Stall Welfare Standards” (The Transmitter)
- “How Inbreeding Almost Tanked an Up-and-Coming Model of Alzheimer’s Disease” (The Transmitter)
Calli McMurray’s incisive reporting on the hidden structures and human consequences that shape science is deeply novel and impactful. Her article on the fallout of scientific fraud offers a rare, humane look at how misconduct derails careers and undermines trust, while her other pieces illuminate overlooked dynamics in neuroscience and research practice. With maturity, rigor, and originality, McMurray brings readers “under the hood” of science, helping the public better understand not just discoveries but the process and people behind them.
Winners:
Daniel Shailer, The Shetland Times
Jesse Nichols, Grist
Science Journalist: Local/Regional
Top Prize Winner: Lois Parshley for
- “Open Season” (Grist)
- “Unnatural Selection” (Virginia Quarterly Review/Grist)
- “The Industry Behind Your Filet-O-Fish Is Destroying Alaska’s Oceans and Rivers” (The Nation/The Lever)
Lois Parshley’s reporting on the intersection of science, politics, and community in Alaska is deeply investigated and beautifully written. Her stories reveal the complex trade-offs between conservation, livelihoods, and governance. With lyrical writing, rigorous detail, and a commitment to underreported regions, she illustrates the power of science journalism to illuminate systemic challenges shaping our planet’s future.
Winners:
Albert Oppong-Ansah, Ghana News Agency
Research Scientist: Graduate Student
Top Prize Winner: Teresa Paneque Carreño, University of Michigan, for
- “El Universo Segun Carlota: Galaxias Lejanas y Materia Oscura” (Editorial Planeta Chile)
- “Abecedario Astronomico de Tere Paneque” (UNICEF Chile)
- “@terepaneque” (Instagram)
Teresa Paneque Carreño exemplifies impactful, far-reaching science communication that is deeply rooted in community, culture, and accessibility. Through her bestselling children’s book series, collaborations with UNICEF, and widely followed social media presence, Paneque Carreño combines storytelling, cultural relevance, and scientific rigor to spark curiosity about science and astronomy and inspire the next generation. Her success as a communicator lies in her ability to meet young people where they are and broaden participation in science through both reach and impact.
Winners:
Bing Lin, University of Sydney
Lindsay Ejoh, University of Pennsylvania
Research Scientist: Early Career
Top Prize Winner: Jasmin Graham, Minorities in Shark Sciences, for
- “Sharks Don’t Sink: Adventures of a Rogue Shark Scientist” (Pantheon)
- “These Sharks Eat Plants” (PBS Terra)
- “Shark Beach with Anthony Mackie: Gulf Coast” (National Geographic)
Jasmin Graham’s unique ability to weave together scientific expertise, social justice, and conservation makes her a compelling and influential voice in science communication. Her impactful storytelling across mediums and her advocacy for shark science help to cultivate and promote human connection to the ocean and break down the process of science for different audiences. Graham’s research and communication go hand in hand, each informing and strengthening the other to broaden access to marine science.
Winners:
Matthew LaPlante, Utah State University
Vanessa Pirotta, Macquarie University
Research Scientist: Later Career
Top Prize Winner: Melanie Mitchell, Santa Fe Institute, for
- “Debates on the Nature of Artificial General Intelligence” (Science)
- “The Turing Test and Our Shifting Conceptions of Intelligence” (Science)
- Santa Fe Institute Complexity Podcast, “The Nature of Intelligence” (Santa Fe Institute)
Melanie Mitchell demonstrates clarity, originality, and insightfulness in her communication about artificial intelligence and its societal implications. Through her column and podcast, she demystifies complex topics like the nature of intelligence and AI, breaking past the excitement of cutting-edge subjects with nuance and rigor. Mitchell’s work brings clarity and perspective to one of today’s most pressing and often misunderstood topics.
Winners:
Jeremy Faust, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Nia Imara, University of California, Santa Cruz, Onaketa
Science Communicator: Independent
Top Prize Winner: Joss Fong for
- “How do they know which animals are sentient?” (Howtown)
- “How they really count the calories” (Howtown)
- “How accurate was the COVID death count?” (Howtown)
Joss Fong’s outstanding work as co-creator and host of Howtown blends rigorous research with playful, visually captivating storytelling. Her episodes, which cover topics that can be both complex and whimsical, stand out for their clarity, depth, and creativity, making intricate issues both entertaining and accessible to broad audiences. With high production value, strong narrative instincts, and a gift for raising thoughtful questions, her work embodies excellence in digital science communication.
Winners:
Science Communicator: Organizational
Top Prize Winner: Rollie Williams, Climate Town, for
- “Who’s Taking America’s Water?” (YouTube)
- “Natural Gas Is Scamming America” (YouTube)
- “You’re Getting Screwed by Free Returns” (YouTube)
Rollie Williams’ rigorously researched and wildly engaging series Climate Town uses sharp comedy and crystal-clear explainers to make climate science stick. His deep-dive episodes pair citations with concrete action steps while cutting through apathy and misleading information to reach a massive online audience. Williams’ blend of scientific rigor, storytelling, and humor shows us how comedy and other barrier-breaking formats can mobilize the public on the defining issues of our time.
Winners:
Emily Zhang, Veritasium
Winnie Karanja, Nakira’s World
The National Academies’ Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communications were created to increase quality science communication by recognizing outstanding science communication among research scientists, science journalists, and science communicators and creating opportunities for science journalists to make connections and pursue stories at the national, regional, and local levels. For more information on the awards and the work of this year’s recipients, please visit https://www.nationalacademies.org/awards/excellence-in-communication.
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About the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are private, nonprofit institutions that provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions related to science, engineering, and medicine. They operate under an 1863 congressional charter to the National Academy of Sciences, signed by President Lincoln.
About Schmidt Sciences
Schmidt Sciences, founded by Eric and Wendy Schmidt, is a philanthropy dedicated to fostering the advancements of science and technology that accelerate and deepen our understanding of the natural world and develop solutions to global issues.
Contact:
Olivia Hamilton
Communications Specialist
National Academies’ Office of News and Public Information
202-334-3953; email ohamilton@nas.edu