For immediate release
Contact: Dave Shaw, dmshaw@ncsu.edu
Rebecca Jones is now the communications director of North Carolina Space Grant, the Water Resources Research Institute of the University of North Carolina, and North Carolina Sea Grant.
“Rebecca brings a breadth of skills to our programs–clearly science communications, but also an expertise in coordinating across multiple programs that will strengthen NC Sea Grant, NC Space Grant and the NC Water Resources Research Institute’s integration, leading to growth in the programs’ reach across the state,” says Susan White, executive director for the three programs.
Jones joins NC Sea Grant, WRRI, and Space Grant from Montana State University, where she served as an associate professor and the writing program administrator in the Department of English. There, she helped develop the student-run nonfiction news magazine Bitterroot, which won the school’s Provost’s Teaching Innovation Award.
Her prior positions include professor of rhetoric and writing studies at University of Tennessee, Chattanooga and The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley where she taught writing and served in administrative roles ranging from graduate director, internship coordinator, writing program administrator, and assistant dean. She also worked as a freelance science writer for the Rocky Mountain Research Station.
“As a writing teacher for over twenty years, I’ve taught classes including news writing, travel and nature writing, and most recently science writing,” says Jones.
While she may be coming from out west, Jones is no stranger to North Carolina – she’s native to the state and received her B.A. in English from UNC Chapel Hill and her Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Composition from UNC Greensboro. She also spent a summer as a reporter at Tideland News in Swansboro.
“I grew up in Morehead City roaming the marshes and wandering the Outer Banks,” says Jones. “I spent a good portion of my childhood with commercial fishermen, fly fishing guides, and oyster farmers, listening to talk about fisheries, tides, rivers, and hurricanes.”
“I can’t recall a job that feels more like a culmination of my research and work experience and most importantly my belief that university researchers should collaborate with citizens. It’s an honor to have a career focused on communicating science to the people of my favorite state.”
In her free time, Jones enjoys eating local food with family, reading, swimming, kayaking, hiking and traveling.
“I am excited about the enthusiasm Rebecca brings to getting to know our teams and partners, and am pleased to welcome her back to North Carolina,” says White.
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