Kimbra L. Cutlip
443-871-1632
somanywords@kimbracutlip.com
Smithsonian Institution Start Date: 4/2003 to Present
Smithsonian Environmental
Science Writer/Editor and Webmaster.
Responsible for all aspects of science communications at SERC.
Initially brought into the organizationto fill a new position created to establish science communications for public audiences and the media. Over-arching goal is to generate public awareness and diseminate SERC's core messages to a broad audience. Duties include generating story ideas and content for press releases, internal Smithsonian publications, SERC's quarterly magazine, brochures and displays, board reports and the SERC website (http://www.serc.si.edu). Maintaining and updating the content on most of the SERC website, administering the technical aspects of the site and training and supporting roughly 24 staff members in their use of SERC's customized TeamSite content management system. Full responsibility for creating, producing and distributing the SERC quarterly magazine and newsletter both in print form and in various formats on the web. I am solely responsible for information gathering, editorial selection, research, interviews, photography, writing, lay out and design--all aspects from conception through publication. Additional activities include creating, writing, producing and posting of short video clips on the website. Photography to accompany written material..
EDUCATION:
·
BA Anthropology,
·
BA Magazine Journalism, Newhouse
·
Graduate course work in Museum Studies and Marine Ecology,
George Washington University, 1990-1991
PREVIOUS WORK EXPERIENCE:
Weatherwise magazine Ending Date: 04/2003
Associate Editor
Responsible
for all phases of production of the print magazine, and all aspects of the
publication’s web site.
Duties include soliciting and selecting
story ideas for feature articles; negotiating fees with writers and
photographers; editing and writing feature articles; coordinating, writing, and
editing departmental columns; and working closely with writers to develop story
ideas and produce publication-quality features suitable for our audience.
Additional duties include conducting photo research, overseeing layout and design,
and copy editing and proofreading final versions of print magazine. Duties also
include formatting final text using desktop publishing software.
The magazine’s subject matter requires
an ability to translate scientific information clearly for our readership which
includes both technical and lay audiences.
Full
responsibility for magazine web site http://www.weatherwise.org. I
created and produced initial web site when I began with the magazine, and have
continued to maintain site taking full responsibility for all aspects of our
web presence.
Duties
and skills include; coordinating and disseminating information about the
magazine to a regional and national audience through the web site; designing
and creating graphic elements and presentation techniques; writing and
designing material for technical and public audience, proficient use of html
code, navigational considerations and visitor tracking technology.
FREELANCE WRITING
The
Community
Correspondent/
Freelance
columnist for by-weekly column. Duties included selecting and
researching stories, interviewing at least four people for each story, and
submitting copy on deadline twice monthly. The column appears weekly, and the
position is shared with another columnist. Therefore, responsibilities also
include coordinating schedule and topic selections with the other writer to
avoid overlap. Duties also include an occasional feature article for the paper.
Freelance
Writer: Varied
National Feature Credits:
By-lines have appeared in the Baltimore
Sun, Washington Post, Cousteau Society’s Calypso Log, Hospital Topics, Current Issues in Regulatory Chemistry, Food Chemical News, Science & Spirit
and others.
Nationally published books:
Children’s
book Firefighter’s Night Before Christmas,
Pelican Publishing 2002.
Children’s
book Sailor’s Night Before Christmas, Pelican
Publishing 1999.
WORK EXPERIENCE PRIOR TO 2001:
Web Master
Designed and created the web site for
the AAUS (http://www.aaus.org) while serving as an elected member of the board
of directors. Continued on a contractual basis thereafter.
Responsibilities included creating visually appealing graphics, developing
navigational framework, establishing organization and presentation of material,
presenting technical information about research projects and scientific diving
programs for a web-based audience, and regularly updating the site.
Unsupervised
position
Smithsonian
Institution Start
Date: 03/1992
Office of the Provost End
Date: 04/1996
Assistant Scientific Diving Officer
Responsibilities
specific to this position included coordinating and disseminating information
about the objectives, activities, functions, and achievements of the
Smithsonian’s Diving Program to researchers from outside organizations, to the
broader diving community, and to a local and national public audience. This was
achieved through a quarterly newsletter for which I
was responsible, as well as the design, creation, and maintenance of the World
Wide Web site. I also wrote and published articles about Smithsonian divers in
national magazines.
Primary duties included maintaining
database of Smithsonian divers and their status for various certification
requirements; assisting with on-site research operations in remote locations
around the world; coordinating and facilitating field activities, diver
training, and certification; instructing and certifying divers in first aid,
CPR, and oxygen administration; and training divers for specialty dive
operations. Worked with curators, researchers, technicians,
and zookeepers in planning and coordinating scientific diving aspects of field
projects and in prioritizing regulatory requirements for maintaining diving
status. Duties also included generating annual statistics reports for
presentation to the national and international scientific diving community, and
maintaining diving gear and equipment.
Supervisor: Michael Lang (202) 786-2815
Smithsonian
Institution Start
Date: 07/1989
Project Coordinator
Created and developed series of video
programs on natural history topics featuring museum scientists in the field.
Videos were displayed in the museum to disseminate information about research
conducted at NMNH to the public. Duties included selecting and researching
segment topics; writing and directing pieces; and overseeing all phases of
production and display. This position required positive working relationships
with researchers and exhibits
Supervisor:
Frank Talbot, former Director of NMNH
Smithsonian
Institution Start
Date: 04/1989
Museum Technician
Duties included cataloguing specimens
in the national fish collection.
Supervisor:
Jeff Williams 202/357-3059
Program Coordinator: Nigerien Studies
Conceived of and initiated a program to
educate ex-patriots living in
Peace Corps Volunteer
Based in
remote
JOB RELATED HONORS/
MEMBERSHIPS
Member
of National Association of Science Writers
Member of D.C. Science Writers’ Association
Center for the Advancement of Science Writing / 2002 New
Horizon’s fellowship recipient