Interview With Erin Winick Of NASA

Erin Winick is a maker, engineer, writer, entrepreneur, science fashionista, and science communicator. Her passion is helping people engage with science and engineering in new ways, and communicating complex science topics. Erin works as a science communicator for the International Space Station, communicating the science performed aboard the orbiting laboratory. She assigns, writes, and edits stories and video scripts for publication on NASA.gov covering station science. She also handles the social media and distribution strategy for station science content, running the @ISS_Research Twitter account, and composing science content for other NASA accounts. Erin also supports astronauts with science communication materials. Outside work, Erin works on personal science communication projects, including creating science and space TikTok videos for an audience of 35K, and Instagram posts to her following of more than 7K. Erin served as CEO and founder of Sci Chic from 2015-2020. The company created plastic and metal 3D printed jewelry that is inspired by science and engineering concepts. She created the company while in college as a tool to teach about science, technology, and manufacturing, and to spark conversations about science. She grew Sci Chic to becoming profitable business by the time she graduated, running the business full time. She was chosen as one of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers’ 2017 30 Under 30 in Manufacturing. As a maker, Erin has created everything from 3D printed wedding bouquets to Ms. Frizzle costumes. Her work has been featured everywhere from CNN Money to The Daily Dot to Inverse. She has published research on 3D printing outreach in partnership with the University of Florida (UF)’s Marston Library. ​She previously worked as a freelance science writer, the space reporter for the MIT Technology Review, and Technology Review’s associate editor of the future of work. She developed and wrote The Airlock, a weekly email on emerging space technologies for Technology Review. Erin has