Don Monroe, a freelance science journalist and an APS Fellow, is the first to win the Acoustical Society of America’s (ASA) new award for science writing in electronic media. His award-winning article, “Why the Inner Ear is Snail-Shaped,” was published in APS’s online magazine
Physical Review Focus in 2006 (
focus.aps.org/story/v17/st8).
The article explains how the curled shape of the inner ear contributes to better hearing.
Monroe graduated from MIT with a PhD in physics in 1985 and worked as a scientist in semiconductor computer chip research. He attended New York University’s Science and Environmental Reporting Program and then began his second career in science journalism.
“His combination of 20 years’ experience as a physicist and a degree in science journalism are a really rare and valuable contribution,” said David Ehrenstein, the editor of
Physical Review Focus.
Monroe will receive a $1000 prize and an award certificate, which will be presented at the 2007 ASA Fall Meeting, to be held in New Orleans in November.