Content author

Freelance science journalist (formerly Quanta Magazine) · scientificamerican.com · 18 yrs

Nadia Drake demonstrates strong credibility through multiple tier-1 indicators: advanced STEM education (PhD in Genetics from Cornell), formal science communication training (UC Santa Cruz), and extensive publication history in prestigious outlets (Scientific American, New York Times, The Atlantic, National Geographic, Wired, PNAS). Her expertise is further validated by editorial positions at reputable publications (Quanta Magazine's interim Physics Editor) and her recent appointment as Observer to the SETI Institute Board of Directors. Her professional background combines both rigorous scientific training and professional journalism experience. The only minor limitation is that she currently operates as a freelancer rather than holding a permanent position at a major institution, though this is common in modern science journalism. Her work focuses on space science and space exploration, areas where her credentials are well-established.

Credentials

PhD in Genetics, Cornell University

AB in Biology, Psychology, and Dance, Cornell University

Graduate Certificate in Science Communication, University of California, Santa Cruz

Affiliations

Quanta Magazine (interim Physics Editor)

National Geographic (contributing writer)

Wired (science reporter)

SETI Institute (Board of Directors Observer, as of August 2024)

Scientific American (contributor)

Notable work

Coverage of NASA's Artemis I mission for Scientific American

Contributing writer for The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Freelance contributions to New York Times, The Atlantic, Scientific American, Wired, and National Geographic

PhD research on 'Phenotypic consequences of imprinting perturbations at Rasgrf1 in mouse' (2010)