Meet SEJ member Melba Newsome! Melba is an award-winning freelance science, health and environmental writer. Her work has appeared in Yale E360, Scientific American, Science News, Kaiser Health News and Bloomberg, among others. Her reporting is focused primarily on health, science and the environment, with a focus on social justice and health disparities. She has reported extensively on the physiological, emotional and societal impact of the coronavirus. Melba created and oversees the Environmental and Epistemic Justice Initiative (EEJI) journalism fellowship for early to mid-career journalists at Wake Forest University. She was a 2021 MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative Journalism Fellow, publishing stories with Yale360 and other news outlets. Melba grew up in the Arkansas Delta and has traveled extensively. She now lives in Charlotte, North Carolina.
When asked how SEJ makes her job easier, Melba said, “Yes - SEJ is a great resource for research, reporting and connecting with other environmental writers, as well as staying on top of environmental news.” Join us — apply for SEJ membership.
Check out some of Melba's work:
- "Discrimination Has Trapped People of Color in Unhealthy Urban 'Heat Islands'," Scientific American, September 19, 2023.
- "How an Indigenous Community in Panama Is Escaping Rising Seas," Science News, April 7 2023.
- "North Carolina Trees Are Feeding Europe’s 'Clean Energy' Revolution," The Assembly, January 25, 2023.
- "Toxic Firefighting Foam Persists in U.S. Despite Calls for a Ban," Public Health Watch, January 18, 2023.
- "Climate'sTriple Threat: Rising Seas, Stronger Hurricanes, Heavier Rain," Pulitzer Center, July 28, 2022.
Find Melba:
Instagram @MelbaNewsome
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