Honorees

Public Understanding of Science Award Sharon Begley Science Columnist, The Wall Street Journal

Known for her ability to distill complex scientific theories into elegant prose, Sharon Begley has written for the Wall Street Journal since 2002, when she became the paper’s first science columnist, covering basic research in areas such as genetics, neuroscience, astrophysics, and cosmology. Before joining the Journal, she was the senior science writer at Newsweek. She has won numerous awards for her work, including the 2004 Clarion Award from the Association for Women in Communications for best non-opinion newspaper column; the 2002 and 2000 Front Page Award from the Newswomen’s Club of New York for (respectively) best newspaper column and best feature reporting in a magazine; the 2002 Outstanding Media Award from the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill; and the 1999 Deadline Club Award from the Society of Professional Journalists for best feature reporting in a magazine. She is a 2004 recipient of an honorary doctorate of humane letters from the University of North Carolina in recognition of her contributions to the public understanding of science.

Ms. Begley is the coauthor of the 2002 book The Mind and the Brain, the 2002 book The Mind of God, and the 1999 book The Hand of God. She is a graduate of Yale University, and has taught at the Columbia University School of Journalism. She has made many television and radio appearances to discuss science issues and advances, and she has lectured widely.

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