Two Laboratory magazines, National Security Science and 1663, were recognized by the Southwest Science Writers Association (SWSWA) during its annual awards ceremony on April 10. The awards recognized the best science communications from or about the southwest United States. All communications took place in 2020.
National Security Science
For the second consecutive year, NSS art director Brenda Fleming took home the Visual Science Communication Award for the three issues she designed in 2020. According to the SWSWA website, “the judges appreciated the professional quality of this work with innovative ideas in cover design, blending scientific history and art.”
NSS writer Virginia Grant received the award for short (fewer than 500 words) writing for her article “The mystery flash that changed astrophysics,” which is about gamma ray bursts. According to the judges, “Virginia Grant’s powerful lede prepares the reader for a remarkable learning experience. In clear, compelling language, she succinctly explains how Los Alamos scientists observed an extraordinary event occurring in outer space in the 1960s, the significance of that event, and what it means for research at the lab today."
1663
Eleanor Hutterer, a writer for 1663, received an honorable mention for her long-form (more than 500 words) article “To the ends of the earth.” According to the judges, “Eleanor Hutterer sets the stage for a dramatic tale of arctic science with the story of Robert FitzRoy, captain of the HMS Beagle that carried Charles Darwin on his famous voyages, and early pioneer of modern meteorology. In taking the reader from FitzRoy’s groundbreaking weather research to the advanced technology currently deployed in the barren spans of the Arctic ocean, Hutterer’s poetic and dynamic turn of phrase breathes life into the story of scientists braving some of the harshest conditions on the planet to gather the data we need in order to understand the global climate, today and in the crucial years to come.”
About the SWSWA
The Southwest Science Writers Association provides resources and networking opportunities for science writers across the southwest United States. Members of this organization — reporters, editors, media relations representatives, graphic artists, museum docents, podcast hosts, and more — contribute to the communication of cutting-edge science in a wide variety of media.
Granicus Digital Government Awards
National Security Science also won the Communications Resilience category in the Granicus Digital Government Awards. The entry detailed how the NSS team started a podcast and used interactive graphics online to reach new audiences and keep old audiences engaged during the pandemic.
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