Science writing is a career most biology concentrators don't consider when job hunting.  Science writers can contribute to a variety of publications, from daily newspapers to professional journals.  That takes a strong science background in order to interpret detailed technical journals into newspaper articles that the general public can understand.  Education and training for the field usually consists of a bachelor’s in biology or journalism and some form of graduate or journalism school. 
    Kendall Powell, from the William and Mary class of 1997, initially used her biology major to do research as a graduate student in cellular and molecular biology at the at University of California, San Diego but she later found that science writing was right for her.  Kendall had always loved writing, especially following publication of a research paper from her research with Professor Paul Heideman.  Seeking out an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) fellowship at the Los Angeles Times introduced Kendall to newspaper, magazine, and radio science writing with the experience gained from her fellowship, Powell began her career as a science writer and has since published in major journals and papers including the Los Angeles Times, Nature, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Bulletin, The Journal of Cell Biology, and the Public Library of Science (Biology).
    Kendall finds science writing more rewarding as a biology enthusiast than other careers because it allows her to look at multiple areas of science instead of looking only at a particular cell, gene, or organism for months, years, or even decades.  Science writers take a variety of paths toward their careers: some start directly after college, while others, including Kendall, begin in research and later discover their passion for writing.  
    According to the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing (CASW), science writers for newspapers or magazines generally have a starting salary of about $20,000-$30,000, while senior writers or editors can make as much $100,000 a year.  Another area of science writing, public information officers (PIO), may work for universities, private research foundations, or science museums with salaries generally ranging from $40,000 to $100,000 per year. Many science writers choose to be freelance journalists for the freedom and excitement of choosing their own topics, they typically earn a dollar per word.  An experienced freelance writer might make approximately $50,000 to 80,000 in annual salary. 
    Science writers gather material for their articles from very technical journals and interactions with scientists in the field.  They must have the ability to interpret the information and explain it to a variety of audiences, including those familiar with scientific jargon and those who have never had more than a high school biology course.
    Kendall finds scientific writing a very exciting career choice.  Seeing published articles and hearing feedback from readers acknowledges the hard work done by the writer according to Kendall.  “I’m such a nerd that I think a reward of my job is getting to interview some of the most fascinating and innovative scientists of our time.”  To be able to see how science as a whole progresses as well as sharing the enthusiasm of readers, researchers, and fellow writers makes the career a challenging but satisfying choice.  
    

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