For more than 20 years, the Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) website www.epod.usra.edu highlights the diverse processes and phenomena that shape our home planet and our lives. We collect and archive photos and imagery (and on occasion graphics, and artwork) with explanatory captions and links exemplifying features within the dynamic Earth system. This is a website where amateur photographers and citizen scientists from across the globe can submit their photos. Anyone with a camera is invited to contribute digital imagery, a description of what their photo shows, and relevant links. EPOD has amassed a loyal audience with more than 700,000 followers on Facebook. We are looking for a talented and highly motivated science blogger to review submitted pictures/images and write captions for the selected ones for daily and weekly posts.
Essential Duties/Responsibilities:
- Schedule daily posts by reviewing the submissions and contacting contributors to let them know when their post will be published
- Produce 3–4 written image captions per week using proper grammar and demonstrating accurate science
- Research science topics (and EPOD’s archive of images) to develop an accurate image caption
- Add high-quality related links, which include links for students and a map showing geographical coordinates for the location where the image was taken
- Polish the final text and image layouts and check to ensure standard to metric conversions are correct
- Schedule archived EPOD images for Saturdays and Sundays and update the content for present-day accuracy
- Post daily to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
- Edit any scheduled social media posts to match any changes within an EPOD post
- Monitor social media periodically for comments and any required responses
- Post related content on social media for further engagement in science concepts and current events that relate to EPOD’s content, as time allows
- Partner with a senior scientist and USRA leadership team to ensure that blog and social media posts demonstrate high-caliber science and professionalism
Required Qualifications:
Education:
- Bachelors of Science degree in Earth Science or related discipline.
- Graduate degree or current enrollment in an advanced degree program a plus.