Elizabeth Quill

Elizabeth Quill

Editor, Special Projects

Elizabeth Quill is the special projects editor for Science News. She has overseen efforts including the SN 10: Scientists to Watch and the Year in Review, and is the editorial coordinator for the Science News in High Schools program, which puts Science News and related resources into the hands of teachers and students at more than 4,000 high schools across the United States and worldwide. She has edited special collections on topics ranging from consciousness to general relativity, and recently took a deep dive into the stories behind the periodic table of the elements. Originally from the Finger Lakes region of New York, Elizabeth studied journalism at Ithaca College and received her master’s degree in science writing from MIT. This is her second tour at Science News. She started her career here more than a decade ago and returned in 2015 after serving as the senior editor for science at Smithsonian magazine.

All Stories by Elizabeth Quill

  1. Science & Society

    Would you opt to see the future or decipher the past?

    Acting Editor in Chief Elizabeth Quill wonders what it would be like if scientists could see into the past and the future.

  2. Science & Society

    In science, some big risks are worth the rewards

    Acting Editor in Chief Elizabeth Quill says scientists sometimes take risks that can lead to significant rewards and important discoveries.

  3. Animals

    Great praise for categories, and seeing beyond them

    Acting Editor in Chief Elizabeth Quill discusses classification and some of the challenges of putting species in categorical boxes.

  4. Science & Society

    Conspiring with engineers helps make science great

    Acting Editor in Chief Elizabeth Quill says the passion to acquire knowledge and apply it lives in both engineers and scientists.

  5. Science & Society

    Success in science depends on luck, plus much more

    Acting Editor in Chief Elizabeth Quill says luck is only one determinant of an individual's success in science.

  6. Tech

    Nature offers inspiration, and occasionally courage

    Acting Editor in Chief Elizabeth Quill discusses how nature can inspire people to make long-lasting change.

  7. Science & Society

    Learning is a ubiquitous, mysterious phenomenon

    Acting Editor in Chief Elizabeth Quill talks about the science of learning and how our brains process new knowledge.

  8. Science & Society

    Patience is one virtue scientists must embrace

    Acting Editor in Chief Elizabeth Quill discusses how being patient isn't always easy in scientific work.

  9. Animals

    A lot of life on planet Earth is awful and incredible

    Acting Editor in Chief Elizabeth Quill discusses how the natural world feeds our sense of wonder.

  10. Earth

    Expert eavesdroppers occasionally catch a break

    Acting Editor in Chief Elizabeth Quill discusses the many ways we watch, listen and learn about science.

  11. Science & Society

    Dive deep to discover unexpected connections

    Readers often praise Science News for its brevity. But some ideas need more space, writes acting editor in chief Elizabeth Quill.

  12. Science & Society

    Launch your imagination with Science News stories

    You don’t need a novel or a movie to escape into what feels like another reality. Just flip through the pages of Science News. The stories will take you to other worlds, as well as inner, hidden ones.