Stephanie Pappas is a well-established freelance science journalist known for her contributions to various reputable publications. Based in Denver, Colorado, she writes extensively on a wide range of scientific topics, including space, Earth sciences, and environmental issues as well as neuroscience, physics, and conservation. She has over a decade of experience, particularly enjoys writing about psychology and mental health, and spends her spare time enjoying outdoorsy pursuits.
Her first degree was in psychology as Stephanie studied at the University of South Carolina and obtained her degree in 2006.
Not only that, she also graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz, acquiring a certificate in science communication in 2009.
Briefly after she was an intern at Stanford University School of Medicine Press office from June to August 2009.Straight after her internship she did some freelance work from September 2009 to August 2010. From then, she had the position of Senior Writer at Live Science between August 2010 to June 2014 where she reported original science stories based on journal articles, headline news, and current issues in science and policy. Notably she not only created image galleries and multimedia features but also edited staff and freelance articles.
From June 2014 until the present day she keeps following her passion for freelance. Her client portfolio includes companies like Live Science, BBC Earth, Brain Decoder, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Neo.Life, the American Psychological Association, and Scientific American.
Pappas regularly contributes to Live Science, where she covers groundbreaking research and scientific discoveries. Her recent articles explore phenomena such as the adaptation of the H5N1 bird flu to mammals, the discovery of rare earth elements in coal mines, and the complex dynamics of the Cascadia subduction zone which impacts earthquake risks.
Additionally, she writes for Space.com, where her work includes detailed reports on astronomical events and discoveries, such as the identification of new comets and peculiar atmospheric phenomena like the "secret twin" of the aurora-like STEVE phenomenon.
Her portfolio as aforementioned also includes contributions to the American Psychological Association, Chemical Engineering Progress, and Scientific American, where she discusses topics like the potential collapse of vital Atlantic currents and the discovery of new mineral ores in China.
Here is a sample of her clips for media and other outlets:
Scientific American
Why Earth's Inner Core May Be Slowing Down, January 2023 Scientists see quantum interference between different kinds of particles for the first time, January 2023 Rare Red Sea Brine Pool Holds Secrets of Past Natural Disaster, October 2022 Oceans’ Worth of Water Hidden Deep in Earth, Ultra Rare Diamond Suggests, September 2022 Quad-State Tornado May Be Longest Ever, December 2021 New Mineral Discovered in Deep-Earth Diamond, November 2021 Ugly Diamonds Hold a Billion-Plus Years of Earth History, August 2021 The Longest Known Earthquake Lasted 32 Years, May 2021 See more at my Scientific American author page
Live Science
Velociraptors probably didn't use their wicked claws for slashing, January 2023 Oddly modern skull raises new questions about early evolution of birds, December 2022 Plants evolved even earlier than we thought, exquisite 3D fossils suggest, September 2022 Tardigrades survive being dried out thanks to proteins found in no other animals on Earth, September 2022 Giant blobs in Earth's mantle may be driving a 'diamond factory' near our planet's core, September 2022 8,200-year-old burials in Russia contain pendants crafted from human bone, July 2022 San Andreas Fault's Creeping Section Could Unleash Large Earthquakes, March 2022 Ancient Trees Form Bloodlines That Bolster Forests for Thousands of Years, February 2022 Mystery Lineages of Coronavirus Are Popping Up in New York Sewers, February 2022 Centuries-old 'Impossible' Math Problem Cracked Using the Strange Physics of Schrödinger's Cat, January 2022 Chinese Railroad Worker House Unearthed in Utah Ghost Town, November 2021 See more at my Live Science author page
American Psychological Association
EDI roles for psychologists are expanding, January 2023 What employers can do to counter election misinformation in the workplace, November 2023 Can a focus on SEL help students of color thrive? 4 questions for Byron McClure, October 2022 What do we really know about kids and screens? June 2022 With traffic deaths on the rise, psychologists are being called on to make driving safer, June 2022 Fighting Fake News in the Classroom, January 2022 Leading the Charge to Address Research Misconduct, September 2021 New Research in Suicide Prevention, August 2021 Helping Patients Cope with COVID-19 Grief, June 2021 Genetic Testing and Family Secrets, June 2018 See more at my APA contributor page
A hairpin twist hints at nature’s answer to a long-running molecular mystery (Princeton Office of Engineering Communications), August 2022 Automation speeds the search for stable proteins (Princeton Office of Engineering Communications), August 2022 Death is weirder than you think (Neo.Life), April 2018 The plot thickens in the gnarly story of IQ and genetics (Neo.Life), July 2017 Doctor-Patient Communication: A 'Thorny' Challenge (Rheumatology Network), August 2016 How Old is PTSD? (BrainDecoder), March 2016 (Though BrainDecoder is not active today, this is one of her favorite pieces she's ever written.)