Tim De Chant, a prominent expert in environmental science and journalism, has been appointed as a lecturer in the Graduate Program in Science Writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). While exciting, this new position is not the first milestone in De Chant’s career. It especially surges his lifelong commitment to promoting education and research in climate technologies and climate-conscious journalism.
De Chant received his PhD in environmental science, policy, and management from the University of California, Berkeley. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Olaf College. His coursework was in environmental studies, English, and biology. That broad artistic-activist-educational spectrum underpins his unique, interdisciplinary perspective on environmental issues and communication.
In 2018 De Chant was awarded the competitive Knight Science Journalism Fellowship at MIT. There, he dived into climate technologies and found journalistic business models he never would have imagined. This fellowship allowed him to gain critical insights and experiences he’ll now bring back to his students at MIT.
As a teacher, De Chant helps to empower the next generation of science writers. As an environmental communicator, she helps bridge the space between complex environmental issues and clear, effective communication strategies. He feels that helping people work through these issues is important for promoting honest public discussion about the climate challenges we face.
De Chant’s prose is luminous, wise, and refreshingly humorous. This unique quality combined with a fierce journalistic integrity has garnered him immense praise on all sides of the scientific and journalism spectrum. He loves the storytelling aspect of science writing to break down complex topics for a more general audience.
“What we are hoping for, and the reason why we’re partnering so closely together, is so that we could build that Vera Rubin in the future as a digital twin,” – Jensen Huang
De Chant’s new appointment at MIT underscores the growing need for, and value of, effective science communication. This acknowledgment is critical for addressing longstanding and new environmental and climate injustices. His experience and knowledge will be equally invaluable. They will empower students to break down and make sense of the complicated nature of climate science and learn how to communicate it effectively.
