About Me

Hi, my name is Steph Yin. I started this blog back in 2011, when I was just starting to realize that people could actually communicate science for a living. This became my stomping grounds for testing out my own voice—first with writing, then eventually adding illustrations and animation as well. Now I am a student in the Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Programing (SHERP) at NYU’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute, preparing for a career in discovering, sharing and—when necessary—critiquing science for the masses.

I’ve always been drawn to the sciences. In high school, I was convinced I would end up in the world of medicine. In my free time, I pored over anatomy text books, took classes at the medical school nearby and volunteered as an EMT with the local rescue squad. Today, the walls of my bedroom at home still feature medical posters and paraphernalia.

During my senior year of high school, I took an environmental science course. The course opened my eyes to the inextricable link between humans and our environment, and I headed off to college determined to study these connections between people and nature. I got to work on various research projects, including working with a community of sea gypsies in Indonesia, studying ghost crabs on a Marine Corps base analyzing ocean sediment cores to decode past climates and traipsing around salt marshes across Cape Cod. 

Through these diverse experiences, I repeatedly encountered disconnects in the translation of science from academic jargon to household stories. I also realized how much I gravitated towards that translating: in how gratifying it felt to give presentations explaining my research, how excitedly I would scamper home after invertebrate zoology class to share new nuggets of knowledge with my housemates and how much joy I felt in discovering that there exists a whole community of professionals who communicate science for a living.

I find excitement  in uncovering new bundles of truth and sharing them with others. I especially rejoice in those moments when I can communicate something that challenges or broadens another person’s understanding of the world, even if just by a bit.