1. Why is a Master of Fine Arts student working for EPSCoR? Tom Moran Alaska EPSCoR Graduate Assistant May 28, 2010

2. Background B.A. in English and Environmental Science Five years as newspaper reporter, including four at the Fairbanks Daily News- Miner Enrolled as MFA student in creative writing (focus on dramatic writing) in Jan. ’07 Graduated this month; thesis was a full-length play

3. Grant Editing Based on grant workshop recommendations, retained by EPSCoR in Sept. ‘07 to edit grants by rural campus directors Work never materialized, so I began writing instead EPSCoR PI Peter Schweitzer at the August 2007 grant workshop

4. Newsletters Produced 5 bi-annual newsletters since ’07 (No. 6 forthcoming) Content: News and features on EPSCoR programs and people Work includes selecting and writing stories, gathering and taking photographs, layout, distribution to mailing list

5. Photography & Brochure Photos and copy for official brochure Collecting and taking photos for EPSCoR photo database – useful for publicity, reports to National Science Foundation

6. NSF and External Reporting Powerpoint for reverse site visit to NSF in D.C. Annual reports Strategic Plan Contact and demographic information databases

7. Research Highlights One-page PDF summaries of research and outreach efforts Useful for NSF reporting, web site, general publicity

8. Video Project Collaborated with undergrad Kaleb Yates to produce short documentary clips about EPSCoR people and projects Useful for NSF reporting and for web site Yates interviews Andy Kliskey at Westchester Lagoon in Anchorage

9. Professional Development EPSCoR paid for Adobe InDesign course, digital camera and accessories Travel to WAISCs in Nome and Unalaska, All-Hands Meeting in Anchorage, AAAS in Juneau

10. So Why am I Here? Public outreach is highly valued by NSF Clear and coherent writing is an undervalued skill in the science community Writers with some science background (or vice versa) can help translate science into plain English

11. So Why am I Here? Science cannot go forward without the funding and general support of non- scientists If you can’t explain it in layman’s terms, why will the layman care?