STEVE NADIS WINS DAVID N. SCHRAMM SCIENCE JOURNALISM AWARD

May 13, 2020

Science journalist Steve Nadis has been awarded the 2020 David N. Schramm award from the High-Energy Astrophysics Division (HEAD) of the American Astronomical Society (AAS).

Nadis, a graduate of Hampshire College, is a freelance writer living in Cambridge, Mass., who's been writing about astrophysics since the mid-80s. His articles have appeared in Astronomy, Discover, Nature, Quanta, Science, and other magazines.

His article, "Ripple Effect," which appeared in the May 2019 issue of Discover Magazine, was selected by the judges as this year's Schramm Award winner. It is available online at https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/weve-found-gravitational-waves-what-will-we-learn-from-them

The purpose of the Schramm Award is to recognize and stimulate distinguished writing on high-energy astrophysics in order to improve the general public's understanding and appreciation of this exciting field of research.

"I'm thrilled by the news and want to thank HEAD for recognizing my article. I've written about astrophysics for many years -- long enough to have interviewed David Schramm in the past," said Nadis. "I am grateful for having learned so much about the universe in the course of my writings and am especially honored to win an award in David's name."

The award consists of a prize of $1,500 and a plaque containing a citation.  The publisher of the winning work will receive a certificate honoring the publication in which the work appeared.  The award is sponsored by HEAD/AAS, which pays the winning author's personal travel expenses so that the award can be received in person at the next HEAD/AAS meeting.

David Schramm was a distinguished scientist who is widely regarded as the founder of the field of particle astrophysics, a discipline where cosmology and particle physics meet.  High-energy astrophysics incorporates experimental and theoretical studies of high-energy photons and particles from the cosmos, including the disciplines of X-ray, gamma-ray and cosmic-ray astronomy.

More information on the Schramm award is available at: http://www.aas.org/head/schramm/schramm.prize.html

Contact:
Megan Watzke
HEAD Press Officer
+1 617-496-7998
mwatzke@cfa.harvard.edu