Sheena Scruggs

Sheena Scruggs, PhD, is a Digital Outreach Coordinator at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). She received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point in Biology & Psychology and her PhD from Duke University in Genomics & Physiology. In graduate school, her research encompassed studying the genetics and physiology of hibernation in dwarf lemurs, a non-human primate species native to Madagascar. During graduate school, Sheena earned multiple awards and fellowships, was a Freelance Writer for the blog Scientific American, and had the opportunity to write a TED-Ed video on hibernation. Sheena was a 2015 AAAS Mass Media Fellow and a former science writer at the National Human Genome Research Institute.

Can you describe your academic and professional background? What path led you to pursue this field?

I had always been really intrigued by the process of discovery and had always been interested in lots of different science fields. The lab I joined when I started grad school in 2010 didn’t have funding for grad student projects, so I needed to find my own funding. Around my second year, I started writing a lot of grants to professional societies, such as Sigma Xi and the American Society of Mammalogists, and other small research organizations. The beauty of that was that I may not have been writing a grant application to someone who was in my field of study, so I had to write it to be accessible for many different backgrounds. I really got the hang of writing for different audiences that way. And I was pretty successful, with a 90% funding rate! From there, I got really interested in science communication as a possible career path. I started a blog talking about my research and my time in Madagascar doing fieldwork, and I took some course work on different types of science writing and a really excellent narrative non-fiction course. Finally, I started pitching to media outlets, such as Scientific American’s guest blog to get my work out there. Basically, I was writing in much of my free time (what little of it you have in grad school!) I also had a mentor who was really supportive of my career path and encouraged my extracurricular work. In the summer before my defense, I applied for the AAAS Mass Media Fellowship (more on that later) and spent a summer as a science reporter in Philadelphia.

How did you find this particular position, and what was the hiring process like? Is there a typical structure for this in your field?

Currently, I work as a digital content coordinator/science writer at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, part of the National Institutes of Health. Previous to this, I worked for another NIH institute, the National Human Genome Research Institute.

I found my previous position through a job postings listserv that is provided by the National Association of Science Writers, of which I am a member. The hiring process was pretty simple. I reached out to the hiring manager, which was listed on the listserv announcement, and told him I was interested and provided my resume and some writing samples. My science background and writing chops fit what he was looking for. We did a phone interview first, and then I drove from North Carolina to DC to interview with him and the team in-person. I think the way I was hired was pretty typical in this field. If you want to be a science writer, you’ll always be sending at least 3-5 writing samples. It’s best to send a variety of types of writing. And multimedia (videos, infographics, etc), if you do that as well!

Can you tell us about your current responsibilities? What is a typical day or week like in your role?

In my current job, I translate NIH research into language that the general public can understand. That can be done in a variety of ways, such as writing press releases on a new and exciting finding, writing for our monthly newsletter, or creating short videos and graphics for social media. 

I also serve as a conduit between science reporters and NIH scientists. If a reporter wants to speak to one of our scientists, I help connect them, and prep the scientist for the interview.

Typically, in a week, I have many meetings to talk about different projects we’re working on, but then I also have plenty of time to carve out for writing and other projects. It’s a good mix of independent and team work.

What do you enjoy about your current job and work environment?

It’s a really healthy blend of work-life balance, which was much needed after grad school! I also really love learning about all different types of science. My background is in physiology and genomics, but now I work for an organization that does environmental health, so it was a big – and exciting – learning curve for me when I first started!

What are some of the challenging aspects of your job? Is there anything you wish you had known about your job or industry before joining?

I work for the federal government, so things can move a little slowly because we have to review products at many different levels. Our goal is to keep public trust, and so that means that we are very careful about any communication products we publish.

What are some future career paths that could open up for someone in your position, 5-10 years down the road?

This job lends itself nicely to many different opportunities. For example, the skills I’m learning in my current job could be used in other outreach positions, such as videography, or museum outreach.

What’s changing in your industry? Are there any future trends we should be aware of?

I think things are moving quickly towards multimedia, instead of the traditional science writing. If you want to go into this field, having some familiarity with photoshop, or infographics software would be awesome! Video and photography experience is also a plus!

What activities, internships, or organizations would you recommend someone get involved with to help them break into this field?

If you really want to be a science writer, there is no better prep than the AAAS Mass Media Fellowship. Offered every year, this fellowship gives Ph.D. and Master’s level students a chance to test their chops at media outlets across the country. It’s a science writing bootcamp! It also sets you up nicely to get a job as many folks in this field know about the fellowship and how excellent it is.

As far as organizations, the National Association of Science Writers is also fantastic for connecting with other writers and finding jobs! They have a really great annual meeting every year. Awesome for networking and honing your craft!

Is it common for people in your field to have a scientific/academic background (i.e. have PhDs)? Can you think of any advantages or disadvantages someone with a PhD might experience while pursuing or working in your field?

I would say about 50% have a Ph.D. in a science field, and 50% have a background in journalism. The advantage of the Ph.D. is that you really understand what it means to do research in the lab – that things can fail and success is often not found in a straight, planned out line. It also means that you can quickly read a published study and understand the main take home points. 

One of the disadvantages is that some of your sources/interviewees may see the Ph.D. behind your name and start speaking in jargon. That’s not great for getting a nice quote for your story! 

Do you have any final words of advice for those navigating these career questions? Is there anything you would have done differently given what you know now?

I would just say, talk to as many people as you can about your chosen path! When I first started, I set up all sorts of informational interviews to learn more and am still close with many of the mentors that came from those interviews. They’ve been instrumental in helping me navigate the transition from bench science to science communication.