KINGSTON, R.I. – June 21, 2023 – While June is normally a quiet time at URI, it saw a huge influx of some of the finest minds in environmental science and journalism last week for the Metcalf Institute’s Annual Science Immersion Workshop for Journalists. For the past quarter century, URI’s Metcalf Institute has been a global leader in offering training for journalists and scientists in environmental reporting and inclusive science communication, training nearly 3,500 journalists, scientists, engineers, and other science communicators. Metcalf has hosted a number of trademark programs at URI, including the Annual Workshop for Journalists and the Inclusive Science Communication Symposium, as well as new fellowships, such as the SciComm Identities Project. Across the board, from graduate students to professionals, Metcalf supports science communicators at all stages of their careers.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Metcalf Institute’s keystone fellowship program, the Annual Science Immersion Workshop for Journalists. Through the fellowship, selected journalists gain new insights, sources and resources to aid their science reporting, expand peer networks with journalists from around the globe, and produce accurate and contextualized reporting on globally relevant environmental issues. Fellows develop a solid foundation in the fundamentals of research practice, climate science, and adaptation measures from leading researchers and policy makers. With over 280 applicants from 65 countries, ten extraordinary journalists from diverse reporting backgrounds were selected for the 2023 fellowship, which took place in person last week at URI and continues through the month of June with four virtual sessions. In addition to the Annual Workshop, Metcalf kicked off a series of anniversary celebrations with alumni and supporters that included thought-provoking lectures, strategic planning, community-building field trips, and more.

Concurrent with the Annual Workshop for Journalists, throughout the month of June Metcalf Institute’s Annual Lecture Series showcases inspiring talks by journalists, scientists, and others working at the forefront of clean energy. The weekly virtual public lecture’s theme ties in with the Annual Workshop for Journalists, fostering more dialogue around creating an equitable transition to clean energy. This year’s topics include balancing sustainability and land use; inequities in the transportation sector; clean energy innovation, and insights from the climate journalism beat. 

The keynote Leeson Lecture for the Annual Lecture Series kicked off Metcalf’s series of 25th anniversary events, featuring Dr. Emily Grubert on June 15.  Grubert, a civil engineer and environmental sociologist, explored questions surrounding how to phase  out energy systems that emit greenhouse gases.  In her lecture How We Move on: Planning for a Future without Fossil Fuels, she described the challenges and opportunities presented by the clean energy transition and examined the social, economic, and political factors that influence its progress. Two hundred people attended the event in-person or virtually. Following the lecture, there was a dinner with Metcalf alumni and supporters on the Bay Campus Quad. 

To continue the festivities, the Institute hosted a series of field trips on June 16 for 2023 Metcalf Fellows and alumni of Metcalf professional development programs for journalists. The adventures included kayaking on Ninigret Pond; a fish trawl on URI R/V Cap’n Bert; a tour of the Block Island wind farm; and an Ocean Hour Farm walking tour. Of her time aboard the fish trawl on the URI R/V Cap’n Bert, reporter Rona Kobell wrote, “It was GREAT. Thank you for a wonderful celebration of a great program!”

To imagine the next twenty-five years of training and beyond, Metcalf also hosted a journalists’ roundtable to explore training impacts and future directions. Notable alumni included Mark Schleifstein, a Pulitzer Prize-winning environment reporter for the Times-Picayune. 

“The roundtable, and all the events this week, are a reminder of the tremendous community that has been shaped by Metcalf’s programs – and the generous giving that uplifts it,” says Phoebe Neel, Metcalf Institute’s communications specialist. Throughout the month of June, all donations to Metcalf are matched 1:1 up to $12,500, thanks to a group of steadfast supporters who are all looking forward to many more years of cutting-edge programming to advance informed, inclusive conversations about science and the environment.

This story was written by Sarah Heavren, CELS communication fellow.