Emily Petersen is the photography managing editor at Science magazine in Washington, DC. She has been with the magazine since she was an intern in 2015. For the weekly publication, she directs freelance photographers to visualize complex science stories for the magazine's covers, news features, social media, and online news.
Emily received her master’s degree from American University, where she studied photography, film, and environmental science. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biology at Virginia Tech and spent five years as a microbiologist for the U.S. Navy. She is a NPPA and WPOW member and iLCP ambassador.
Emily lives with her husband in Baltimore, MD. She is an amateur baker, addicted to tea, and loves all things hygge.
AWARDS + ACHIEVEMENTS
2024 NPPA Best of Photojournalism Photo Editing Magazine Cover | Zoonomia | First
2023 Communication Arts Photography Annual | A River’s Pulse
2023 Ambassador for the International League of Conservation Photographers
2023 Ozzies Photography Award | A River’s Pulse | Honorable Mention
2022 Communication Arts Photography Competition Annual | Clownfish & Climate Change
2021 Excel Awards Diversity and Inclusions Initiatives Microsite | Rising Up | Silver
2021 Excel Awards Pandemic Response Microsite | Breakthrough of the Year | Silver
2021 Excel Awards Feature Article Design | Mud | Silver
2020 Ozzies Visual Storytelling Award | Greenland’s Dying Ice | Gold
2019 Relaunched the Science Visuals Instagram account
JUDGING + WORKSHOPS + EVENTS
2024 Diversify Photo Portfolio Reviewer
2024 Nikon Small World Competition Judge
2024 Maine Media Grant Writing Workshop
2024 - 2017 WPOW Portfolio Reviewer
2023 iLCP Review Judge
2023, 2020, 2018 NPPA Northern Short Course
2021 Poynter Institute’s Leadership Training
2020 NPPA Northern Short Course Portfolio Reviewer
2019 NPPA Multimedia Immersive Workshop
2018 DC Environmental Film Festival Reviewer
2017 Kalish Workshop
2016 DC Environmental Film Festival social media + photo assistant
2016 American University Environmental Filmmaking Workshop
2015 American Conservation Film Festival Producer’s Camp