We are delighted to recognize Canadian journalist, author and broadcaster, Dan Falk, with the 2019 Fleming Medal for Excellence in Science Communication.
Credit: Sara Desjardins Photography
Dan Falk’s award-winning work spans many formats. He is well-known for his books and articles, but also radio documentaries, and a popular podcast.
Dr. Paul Delaney, Carswell Chair for the Public Understanding of Astronomy at York University, describes Dan as, “smart, diligent, hard-working and highly competent. His large body of work – for numerous media outlets in Canada and abroad – and the many awards he has received attest to his productivity as well as his eminence.”
Dan’s first book, Universe On A T-Shirt won the Science in Society Journalism award from the Canadian Science Writers Association, among others. This and his later books have the rare quality of engaging scientists and non-scientists. The Science of Shakespeare highlight’s Dan’s skill as a storyteller, introducing the cosmos as it was known during the Renaissance through how it appeared in Shakespeare’s plays.
Dan’s articles can be found in can be found in a wide array of magazines, journals and web-based journalism outlets. He’s produced more than a dozen hour-long radio documentaries for CBC Radio’s Ideas, several of which have garnered international awards, and his work also airs on such international outlets as the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Dan co-hosts the podcast, BookLab, with Amanda Gefter which reviews popular science books and explores the topics raised by the authors. He is also a frequent public speaker and teacher.
“Dan is clearly a talented, effective and impactful science Communicator – a shining star in Canadian science journalism – and an ideal candidate for the Fleming Medal,” according to Dr. Ray Jayawardhana, Dean of Cornell University’s College of Arts and Sciences and former Dean of Science at York University, where Dan was science journalist in residence earlier in 2019.
RCIScience will recognize Dan Falk at a public event on Tuesday, December 3rd at the George Ignatieff Theatre, Trinity College, University of Toronto. This event will feature a retrospective of Dan’s work and a conversation with Dan about his career in science communication.
For 170 years, the RCIScience has been bringing scientists from their labs to engage with the public to further our vision of an informed public that embraces science to build a stronger Canada. Since 1982, RCIScience has awarded the Fleming Medal and Citation annually to a Canadian who has made outstanding contributions to communicating science and helped to advance our vision.