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Knight Fellows include graphic artists

The Knight Fellows for 2001-02 pose together for a class portrait. Front row (left to right): Sean McNaughton, program coordinator Martha Henry, director Boyce Rensberger, Agnieszka Biskup and Diran Onifade. Back row (left to right): Rebecca Perry, David Chanatry, Ibiba Don Pedro, administrative assistant John Nikolai, Carey Goldberg, Barbara Moran, Carol Hills and SeHee Hwang.
Caption:
The Knight Fellows for 2001-02 pose together for a class portrait. Front row (left to right): Sean McNaughton, program coordinator Martha Henry, director Boyce Rensberger, Agnieszka Biskup and Diran Onifade. Back row (left to right): Rebecca Perry, David Chanatry, Ibiba Don Pedro, administrative assistant John Nikolai, Carey Goldberg, Barbara Moran, Carol Hills and SeHee Hwang.

Among the 10 new Knight Science Journalism Fellows who started taking courses at MIT earlier this month are two who will be looking not just for the right words to explain the latest science and technology to the public. They'll be looking for the right images as well.

The two are graphic artists who create the explanatory diagrams that often do more than words to communicate effectively with a newspaper's readers--in this case, The Boston Globe and The Los Angeles Times.

They are part of the 19th annual class of mid-career journalists to come to MIT to study science, engineering and their broader implications for a full academic year.

Joining the graphic artists are three other newspaper journalists, two television broadcasters, a radio producer, a magazine editor and a freelancer who produces science documentaries for television and writes magazine articles.

The new fellows are:

Agnieszka Biskup, managing editor of Muse, a magazine of science and culture for children, co-published by Smithsonian magazine and the Cricket Magazine Group. She is interested in new media, psychology and cognitive sciences. Also she is exploring how children receive information via interactive software, videogames and toys.

David Chanatry, producer for NBC Weekend Nightly News. At MIT he will be learning about molecular targets in cancer treatment and climate change and studying nuclear arms and missile defense.

Ibiba Don Pedro, staff reporter for The Guardian, Nigeria's leading English-language daily. A specialist in environmental matters, she will focus on environmental and ecosystems research ranging from soil erosion and desertification to the impact of the oil industry and other industrial activity on the Niger River and delta.

Carey Goldberg, Boston bureau chief for The New York Times. At the Institute, she'll be preparing herself to become a science writer for the Times by studying cells, genes, brains and, she says, "a smattering of everything else."

Carol Hills, senior producer for The World, a daily radio program co-produced by the BBC, WGBH and Public Radio International. Her diverse interests include the car of the future, language acquisition, genomics, high-tech weaponry and public health.

SeHee Hwang, a medical writer for JoongAng Ilbo, one of the two largest dailies in South Korea. Hwang, who already has an M.D. and Ph.D., says she plans to learn about anthropology, psychology, public health, social health and mental health.

Barbara Moran, a freelance television producer and magazine writer. During her year here, she'll pursue studies related to history of science and technology and would like to do some specific research in the development of the interstate highway system.

Sean McNaughton, information graphic artist at The Boston Globe. He plans to learn about genomics and the genetic and molecular bases of physiology and disease, nanotechnology and biomaterials.

Diran Onifade, medical reporter for the Nigerian Television Authority, the country's sole national network. He will focus on science and public health issues of relevance to Nigeria, including genetics and biotechnology.

Rebecca Perry, editorial artist at The Los Angeles Times. She'll be looking into artificial intelligence, cognitive science, perception and cognition, and human/computer interface design issues.

Anyone interested in meeting the new Knight Fellows is invited to a reception on Oct. 9 hosted by Technology Review magazine and the News Office. It is scheduled from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the magazine's new offices at 1 Main Street, seventh floor (at the Cambridge end of the Longfellow Bridge).

The 2001-02 Knight Fellows were chosen by a committee comprising K.C. Cole, a science writer for The Los Angeles Times; Scott Allen, science editor of The Boston Globe and a former Knight Fellow; Hugh Gusterson, professor of anthropology and science studies; and Boyce Rensberger, director of the Knight Fellowships.

A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on September 26, 2001.

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