Photo by Corey Haynes
Biography
Monica Kortsha is a science communicator who specializes in helping scientists share their research and its significance to the wider world, as well as to specific stakeholders. She is an award-winning feature writer with a background in magazine and print media. She also has a deep curiosity about how humans understand our surroundings — both bodily and environmental — and how our surroundings shape us.
Kortsha enjoys the creative challenge of storytelling for publications, where artwork, copy, and design must work together at a glance to make an impact and engage readers. She is experienced in media relations, successful story pitching to national media outlets, and collaborating with creative professionals on storytelling projects. This includes film makers, illustrators, and photographers.
Kortsha is currently the assistant director of communications at The University of Texas at Austin Jackson School of Geosciences, one of the largest geosciences institutions in the world.
She is the managing editor of the school’s alumni magazine, Newsletter, and its peer-outreach publication, The Geoscientist.
Outside of her writing and communications work, Kortsha is active in the yarn and fiber community. She is the owner and founder of Gothfarm Yarn, a small yarn business that specializes in working with mills to produce undyed, naturally colored yarn from a variety of fiber fauna, with a focus on rare and heritage breeds.
Education
2012 Bachelor of Arts, Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin
2012 Bachelor of Journalism, Magazine Journalism, The University of Texas at Austin
Awards
2024 Best of CASE District IV Award, Communications, Storytelling
Art Director for 2024 Annual No.22 Merit Award received by Kouzou Sakai
2020 Excellence in Communications Award, Writing, The University of Texas at Austin
2019 Staff Excellence Award, Jackson School of Geosciences
Other Activities
Member of the National Association of Science Writers
Member of Austin Texas Science Communicators
Member of the Livestock Conservancy
Buy my yarn
Read my newsletter, Placental Mammal
Monica Kortsha is a science communicator who specializes in helping scientists share their research and its significance to the wider world, as well as to specific stakeholders. She is an award-winning feature writer with a background in magazine and print media. She also has a deep curiosity about how humans understand our surroundings — both bodily and environmental — and how our surroundings shape us.
Kortsha enjoys the creative challenge of storytelling for publications, where artwork, copy, and design must work together at a glance to make an impact and engage readers. She is experienced in media relations, successful story pitching to national media outlets, and collaborating with creative professionals on storytelling projects. This includes film makers, illustrators, and photographers.
Kortsha is currently the assistant director of communications at The University of Texas at Austin Jackson School of Geosciences, one of the largest geosciences institutions in the world.
She is the managing editor of the school’s alumni magazine, Newsletter, and its peer-outreach publication, The Geoscientist.
Outside of her writing and communications work, Kortsha is active in the yarn and fiber community. She is the owner and founder of Gothfarm Yarn, a small yarn business that specializes in working with mills to produce undyed, naturally colored yarn from a variety of fiber fauna, with a focus on rare and heritage breeds.
Education
2012 Bachelor of Arts, Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin
2012 Bachelor of Journalism, Magazine Journalism, The University of Texas at Austin
Awards
2024 Best of CASE District IV Award, Communications, Storytelling
Art Director for 2024 Annual No.22 Merit Award received by Kouzou Sakai
2020 Excellence in Communications Award, Writing, The University of Texas at Austin
2019 Staff Excellence Award, Jackson School of Geosciences
Other Activities
Member of the National Association of Science Writers
Member of Austin Texas Science Communicators
Member of the Livestock Conservancy
Buy my yarn
Read my newsletter, Placental Mammal