Science Communication Fellowship

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The Science Communication Fellowship offered by the Geological Society of America provides a dynamic eleven-month journey for science writers, journalists, or scientists passionate about sharing their knowledge. Participants will immerse themselves in an enriching environment, working closely with GSA's marketing and communications team and leading members to hone their skills and expand their professional networks. This fellowship is an extraordinary chance to engage deeply with the scientific community and enhance one's communicative impact to the non-scientific community.

With funding from the GSA Foundation's Bruce and Karen Clark fund, the goal of the Fellowship is to help improve communication of geoscience knowledge between the members of GSA and the non-scientific community.

Fellowship candidates should understand how to interview authors to capture the significance of their work for non-scientific audiences and translate technical research papers into well-developed and compelling content including press releases, blog articles, and podcasts.

The Fellow will assist in developing a content calendar that will feature various mediums and cadence of content for the duration of the Fellowship term, which will be selected from the Society’s top-rated, peer-reviewed geoscience journals and from abstracts submitted by scientists to the extensive technical program for the GSA Annual Meeting.

The Fellow will also help staff the onsite Newsroom at the GSA Annual Meeting, assist members of the media covering the meeting, pitch stories to local and national media outlets, interview innovative and newsworthy science authors, and mentor student interns considering a career in science communication.

2026–2027 GSA Science Communication Fellow

Alyssa Pietraszek is a Research Specialist II at the Center for the Study of the First Americansat Texas A&M University and is completing her Ph.D. in Marine Geosciences at the University of Haifa. Her research focuses on reconstructing Holocene sea-level change by integrating the geological and archaeological records, with broader interests in submerged landscape reconstruction, geoarchaeology, and the interactions between humans and evolving coastal landscapes. She is currently part of a Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)-funded project investigating submerged pre-contact archaeological landscapes in the U.S. Gulf region. Beyond her research, Alyssa is passionate about making geoscience accessible to broader audiences. She has taught undergraduate courses in geology and sustainability, developed educational resources for students and the public, and currently serves as Vice Chair of GSA’s Geoarchaeology Division and Editor-in-Chief of The Waypoint for the New England Chapter of The Explorers Club. As the 2026-2027 GSA Science Communication Fellow, she hopes to highlight the breadth of geoscience research being conducted across the GSA community while fostering curiosity and helping people see how Earth science connects to their everyday lives.