Elizabeth Quill

Elizabeth Quill

Executive Editor, 2015-2024

Elizabeth Quill is former executive editor of Science News. During two periods at the magazine, from 2008 to 2013 and again from 2015 to 2024, she edited stories and special projects on topics ranging from public health to AI, from climate change to quantum physics. She managed the SN 10: Scientists to Watch list and the Century of Science project and served as editorial coordinator for the Science News Learning program. 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.

All Stories by Elizabeth Quill

  1. 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.

  2. Earth

    Expert eavesdroppers occasionally catch a break

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

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. Health & Medicine

    Some topics call for science reporting from many angles

    There’s heartbreak in this issue. Science News investigates different facets of the ongoing opioid epidemic in the United States.

  6. Life

    Jumping genes are part of all that makes us human

    Ask 10 people what makes humans human and you’ll probably get 10 different answers — and then some.

  7. Science & Society

    March highlights questions about benefits of science

    Acting Editor in Chief Elizabeth Quill discusses the intersection of science and activism.

  8. Particle Physics

    Scientists find amazement in what’s most familiar

    Acting Editor in Chief Elizabeth Quill discusses the unexpected nature of science.

  9. Science & Society

    If there are curious young minds, science will survive

    Acting Editor in Chief Elizabeth Quill discusses the unending search for scientific knowledge.

  10. Neuroscience

    Lab tests aren’t the answer for every science question

    Acting Editor in Chief Elizabeth Quill discusses the value of observational science.

  11. Science & Society

    Science journalists don’t use the science of ‘nudge’

    Acting Editor in Chief Elizabeth Quill discusses the mission of science journalists.

  12. Science & Society

    Science’s questions rarely have clear, easy answers

    Acting Editor in Chief Elizabeth Quill discusses science's complexities.