Karen Ackoff has a BFA in Illustration from the Philadelphia College of Art (1977) and an MFA in Medical Illustration from the Rochester Institute of Technology (1985). From 1987-1997, she worked as Scientific Illustrator at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. From 1997-2013, she was Professor of Fine Arts at the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts at Indiana University South Bend, and was Program Director of Graphic Design. She continues to conduct workshops, exhibit, write, and make art.
Brooke Alexander (she/her)
Studio Equinox | studio-equinox.com | @baweiland23|
Practical Conversation on Mental Wellbeing Panel Discussion
Brooke Alexander (she/her) specializes in visual communication for conservation and environmental organizations. She owns and operates Studio Equinox, a graphic design and illustration agency.
Sarah Lynn Cramb
Freelance Illustrator | saralynncreative.com | @saralynncreative
Sara Lynn Cramb is an illustrator of over 30 educational children's books with subjects including animal poop, geography, human anatomy, and prehistoric animals. In her nine years working in children's publishing, she has collaborated with many amazing publishers such as Oxford University Press, Scholastic, Nosy Crow, Pearson, and Quarto Publishing Group. When not drawing you can find her in the woods or curled up with her feline friends and a cup of tea. She currently resides in Fairbanks, Alaska.
Lauren Conroy
Freelance Illustrator | LaurenConroyArt.com | @spellbinderceramics
Utilizing CT Data for Illustration Reference
Lauren Conroy is the Research Manager and Scientific Illustrator for the University of Chicago's Sereno Fossil Lab. She utilizes scans from the microCT and hospital CT scanners to create 3D models to aid in the digital reconstruction of dinosaur skeletons such as Spinosaurus. She often uses rendered 3D elements in figures for scientific publications. She also spends her free time drawing animal skeletons on her ceramic art.
Dr. Jeanette Davis
Science is Everywhere, LLC | drjeanettedavis.com | @DrOcean24
Science is Everywhere, Science is for Everyone
Dr. Jeanette Davis (also known as Dr. Ocean) is a Marine Microbiologist and best-selling author. Dr. Davis has combined her love for science, communication, and art through her children's science books Science is Everywhere, Science is for Everyone, and Jada's Journey Under the Sea, both created to explore and diversify science. Her scientific expertise includes studying bacterial symbiosis to find new medicines from the ocean. She is cited in Science for helping to discover a marine bacterium that fights cancer. Dr. Davis attributes her success to the strong foundation that she received at Hampton University. Dr. Davis continues to be an ocean advocate and travels around the world to speak on genetic tools to manage ocean resources.
Jeff Day
John Hopkins University | medicalart.johnshopkins.edu/day | linkedin.com/in/jeff-day-52267525
Accessible and Inclusive SciComm Panel Discussion
Jeff Day, MD, MA is an assistant professor in medical and biological illustration at Johns Hopkins University, where he teaches animation and design. Jeff has also worked as a digital media specialist at the US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, focusing on improving online engagement. He holds a BA in biology and an MD from Case Western Reserve University, and an MA in medical and biological illustration from Johns Hopkins University.
A graduate of the Science Illustration Program at CSU Monterey Bay, Bailee's career in illustration, motion design, and visual effects has consistently taken her to the realms of both science and entertainment, where she's come to focus on art direction, concept art, and professional development for junior artists.
Christine is a naturalist, educator, and artist holding bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Biology and a graduate certificate in Science Illustration from the University of California. Her recent freelance work includes illustrating the cover of 'Habitats of the World' published by Princeton University Press. When not working in her art studio Christine has an insatiable drive to travel and has been blessed to observe and sketch wildlife around the world such as breaching whales in Alaska, courting alligators in Florida, resplendent quetzals in Costa Rica, giant river otters in Peru, and pygmy elephants in Borneo. Teaching is her greatest passion. Christine leads a global community of students through her online classes that focus on integrating wildlife education and nature sketching.
Jennifer Fairman
John Hopkins University, Fairman Studios LLC | fairmanstudios.com | @fairmanstudios
To Market! The Small Business Studio's Tool Box
Jennifer Fairman is an Associate Professor and is the Assistant Director of Production for the Department of Art as Applied to Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Jeni brings over 20 years of experience in science, education, business policy, research, communication, and design to be an effective visual problem-solver for her colleagues throughout the Hopkins community, and a dedicated educator and advisor to her students. Jeni is a professional member and served on the Board of Governors of the Association of Medical Illustrators (AMI) and has served for 4 terms as a Board Member of the Vesalius Trust (VT). She is currently an advisor to the VT and the Walter Spohn Trust. Her contributions are highly recognized by the AMI, Illustrators Club of DC, The National Science Foundation, Smithsonian Women's Committee, James Smithson Society, and the VT. Jeni is the 1999 recipient of the Trust's prestigious honor, the Inez Demonet Award. She is also a Fellow of the AMI and received its Outstanding Achievement Award.
Nuria Melisa Morales Garcia
[email protected] | Twitter: @NuriaMelisaMor1 | Instagram: nmelisa.morales
Accessible and Inclusive Visual SciComm Panel Discussion
Dr. Nuria Melisa Morales Garcia is a UK-based Mexican biologist and paleontologist. Garcia has an MSc and PhD in Palaeobiology from the University of Bristol, UK. She is a freelance science graphic designer, who designs a wide array of graphics for research, including figure papers, graphical abstracts, animations, posters, infographics, etc. Garcia is passionate about creating teaching materials for making accessible science graphics. She produces blog posts, video tutorials, and other resources on this matter. She believes improving the accessibility of our science graphics is of paramount importance.
David S. Goodsell
Scripps Research, RCSB Protein Data Bank | ccsb.scripps.edu/goodsell |@dsgoodsell
Is Your DNA Left-Handed? The RCSB as a Resource for Molecular Illustration
David S. Goodsell is a scientist and artist who divides his time between research in computational biology and creation of new materials for science outreach. At the Scripps Research Institute, he is developing methods for modeling the molecular structure and function of entire bacterial cells, HIV and SARS-CoV-2. With the RCSB Protein Data Bank at Rutgers University, he is creating educational materials for exploring molecular and cellular structure. This includes the “Molecule of the Month”, a popular column for general audiences that presents the molecular mechanisms of fundamental biology, health and disease, and bioenergy. For more information, see his website (above) and PDB-101, the education portal of the PDB at pdb101.rcsb.org.
Diogo Guerra
Medical & Veterinary Illustration by Diogo Guerra | www.diogoguerra.com | @medical_vet_art
Off the Charts: How a Personal Project Fueled my Knowledge of Data Visualization
Diogo Guerra, DVM, dr. med. vet., is a medical illustrator with an atypical background. He completed a Masters in Veterinary Medicine at the University of Lisbon, and a doktorarbeit (PhD) in Veterinary Parasitology at the University of Zurich, Switzerland. He has worked as a freelance medical illustrator since 2014, after several trainings and courses in scientific illustration, painting and data visualization. He was part ofthe graphic department of the VetSuisse Faculty in Zurich (VETCOM) between 2014-2015, and worked as a medical illustrator in the medical communications agency Medicalwriters.com between 2018-2022. His medical illustration portfolio combines his scientific background with the passion to visualize complex ideas, especially in the fields of human and animal medicines, virology, parasitology, and pharmacology.
Maayan Harel
Maayan Visuals | maayanvisuals.com | @maayanvisuals | linkedin.com/in/maayan-harel-a3776762
Maayan Harel is an artist, scientific illustrator and designer. She specializes in visual storytelling for scientific publications and has an M.S. in atmospheric science. After graduating from the science illustration program at CSUMB, she interned at National Geographic Magazine and the Smithsonian and spent 2 years working at the Los Angeles Zoo as a designer and graphic artist. As an illustrator, she creates works for a broad range of fields, including geosciences, ornithology, human evolution, artificial intelligence, psychology, and neuroscience. Maayan also gives workshops and talks to scientists looking to improve their visual communication skills.
M. Genevieve Hitchings
New York City College of Technology | artorium.com | @MGHitchings | linkedin.com/in/genevieve-hitchings-651064b
Exploring the Role of Information Design in Visualizing Science
M. Genevieve Hitchings is Associate Professor of Communication Design at New York City College of Technology, CUNY. With expertise in information design and illustration, she is principal designer of ARTORIUM, a graphic design studio committed to communicating the essentials of complex information quickly, clearly, and appealingly. Genevieve also works as a contract artist for scientists at several research organizations.
Erin E. Hunter
Erin E. Hunter Fine Art & Illustration, Annual Reviews | eehunter.com | @erinhunterart
Creating a Fine Art Painting, From Research to Exhibit
Erin E. Hunter is an artist and science illustrator who splits her time between creating pollination-themed paintings, and technical illustrations for an academic journal, Annual Reviews. Erin's fine art paintings highlight the impact that individual species have on the wider ecosystem, bringing attention to the significance of tiny honeybees, dazzling hummingbirds, delicate thistles, native plants, and other ecological treasures.
Grace Hsu is a board-certified medical illustrator. She earned a MS in Biomedical Visualization from the University of Illinois at Chicago. At her current position as a Scientific Animator at the Animation Lab headed by Dr. Janet Iwasa in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Utah, she collaborates with scientists to help tell their research stories visually. Her main focus is on molecular and cellular animations. Grace is also a Science Communication Fellow at the Natural History Museum of Utah where she further develops her skills in public outreach to make science information accessible to non-expert audiences.
April Isch
The University of Chicago | AprilNeander.com | @aineander
Utilizing CT Data for Illustration Reference
April Neander is a Scientific Illustrator and Micro-CT Research Specialist at the University of Chicago's Luo Lab and PaleoCT Lab. She specializes in mammal paleontology, micro-CT scanning, segmenting CT data, 3D modeling, and digital illustration. She frequently uses CT data in the illustration process, either as reference, or by more directly using rendered 3D elements. April has been awarded the Lanzendorf paleoart prize twice, once for Digital Modeling and Animation, and once for Scientific Illustration. You can see her illustration work in multiple Science and Nature papers, and in the recently published book Beasts Before Us by author Dr. Elsa Panciroli.
Ipsa Jain, PhD
Srishti Manipal Institute, Bangalore | ipsawonders.com | @ipsawonders | linkedin.com/in/ipsa-jain-1b732353
Bookmaking in a Research Lab
Ipsa Jain is a biologist by training and a visualizer by practice. She uses visual media to share stories of science. She makes images, zines, and books to share science. An ardent believer in learning by sharing, she takes workshops and training sessions for young scientists interested in visualizing science. She co-authored and illustrated Actually, Colors Speak with her postdoctoral mentor, Dr. Minhaj Sirajuddin. It is an endeavor to use picture books as a medium for science communication. She is interested in scale, space and time metaphors used to share processes in biological systems. She is currently a faculty at Srishti Manipal Institute, Bangalore.
Nancy Chu Ji
BioHues Digital | biohuesdigital.com
Using Visual References in Biomedical Illustration
Nancy Ji is a medical illustrator and the co-founder of BioHues Digital. She holds a Master's Degree in Biomedical Communications from the University of Toronto. Nancy's specialty is medical animation as well as project management. She wants to advance health equity through accessible medical visuals.
Ikumi Kayama
Studio Kayama LLC | studiokayama.com
Business Lessons from Nature
Ikumi Kayama is the founder of Studio Kayama. Ikumi is currently working with surgeons and researchers to create educational illustrations on neurosurgery and orthopaedic surgery procedures. When not illustrating, she is walking about drawing, counting, and painting birds. Ikumi holds an MA in medical and biological illustration from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a BFA in scientific illustration from the University of Georgia. Her work has appeared internationally in juried shows, exhibits, textbooks, scientific journals, presentations, and websites. Some of her clients include: Cal Tech, MIT, Johns Hopkins, USC, Maryland Ornithological Society, and The Nature Conservancy. She is a recipient of the Frank Netter Scholarship in medical art and is a TEDx speaker on medical and scientific illustration. Visit studiokayama.com and say hello!
Bruce Kerr
KerrCom | brucekerrart.com | kerrview.blogspot.com
Representing Underwater Worlds
Over the course of his varied career, Bruce Kerr has worked as an industrial designer, an owner of an award-winning graphic design and multimedia studio, a Lean Six Sigma process improvement expert and meeting facilitator, and a scientific illustrator and fine artist. His illustration and media work has been used in publications, interpretive centers, museums, and research firms throughout the country. Bruce is versatile in a number of natural media including graphite, oil, watercolor, and acrylic, as well as digital rendering.
John Muir Laws
johnmuirlaws.com | @johnmuirlaws
The Light Value Gouache System
Accessible and Inclusive SciComm Panel Discussion
Bird Anatomy and Form
John (Jack) Muir Laws is a principal leader and innovator of the worldwide nature journaling movement. Jack is a scientist, educator, and author, who helps people forge a deeper and more personal connection with nature through keeping illustrated nature journals and understanding science. His work intersects science, art, and mindfulness. Trained as a wildlife biologist and an associate of the California Academy of Sciences, he observes the world with rigorous attention. He looks for mysteries, plays with ideas, and seeks connections in all he sees. Attention, observation, curiosity, and creative thinking are not gifts, but skills that grow with training and deliberate practice. As an educator and author, Jack teaches techniques and supports routines that develop these skills to make them a part of everyday life.
Elena YH Lin
UC San Diego | elenalin.wixsite.com/artportfolio | @elnlnx
Accessible and Inclusive SciComm Panel Discussion
Elena YH Lin (they/she) is a Taiwanese-Canadian PhD student at UC San Diego studying T cell immunology. Informed by their lived experience and interdisciplinary training in the arts and sciences, Elena uses visual media as a form of advocacy for marginalized communities. Elena also co-founded and co-directs SciComm Collective, where they bring together science, art, and social justice to build more inclusive spaces and practices in science communication.
Rafeeque Mavoor
Scidart Academy | scidart.com | linkedin.com/in/rafeequemavoor
Introduction to Blender
Rafeeque Mavoor is a scientific illustrator. He works with researchers, developing illustrations for scientific publications and science communication projects. He completed a BS-MS dual degree with a major in chemistry from IISER Thiruvananthapuram (IISER TVM) in 2016 and has been working on scientific illustration and animation projects for 5 years at IISER TVM and IISER Pune. Later he conducted multiple science illustration workshops at IIT Gandhinagar, IIT Guwahati, IISER Bhopal, IISER TVM, IISER Pune, SciRio, Wow Science, and more. In 2021, He founded Scidart Academy, an online platform to help researchers learn graphic design for science communication. In the last nine months, the academy has trained more than 500 researchers and is looking forward to creating a change in the way researchers communicate their findings via illustrations.
Jay Rasgorshek (he/him)
Rasgorshek Illustration| jayrasgorshek.com | @JayRasgorshek
Practical Conversations on Mental Wellbeing Panel Discussion
Jay Rasgorshek’s (he/him) goal is to bring a welcoming and contemporary illustration aesthetic to the broader Western United States. He seeks to create painterly, lively images that connect with the clients, while creating a visually pleasing atmosphere that pairs well with the local region. Though trained as a scientific illustrator, Jay has worked on several different Murals, editorial and educational projects, scientific diagrams, and fine art pieces. His previous works include but are not limited to: Science Friday, Ghent University, City of Boise, and Idaho Fish and Game.
Scott Rawlins
Arcadia University | arcadia.edu/profile/w.-rawlins
Introducing Tradigital Illustration
An Introduction to Tradigital Illustration
Scott graduated from Earlham College with a degree in biology and holds graduate degrees in museum education and medical illustration from the George Washington University and the University of Michigan respectively. Scott is a Professor Emeritus at Arcadia University where he teaches scientific illustration. He also teaches classes for the program in botanical illustration at the New York Botanical Garden. He has served on the boards of the American Society of Botanical Artists, the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, and the Philadelphia Society of Botanical Illustrators. Scott's illustrations have appeared in numerous books, including Your Inner Fish and The Guild Handbook of Scientific Illustration. Journals that have published his illustrations include Acta Zoologica, Harvard's Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Geobios, and Zootaxa.
Mieke Roth
miekeroth.com | @miekeroth | linkedin.com/in/miekeroth/
How to prepare 3d models for 3d printing
How to get the most out of the render possibilities in ZBrush
As a veteran of 18+ years, Mieke Roth always pushed the boundaries of what is possible with her work. Roth has specialized in animal anatomy since 2012 and builds projects solely in digital 3D, delivering anything from spreads to 3D printed installations in museums.
William B. Westwood
Westwood Medical Communications | linkedin.com/in/westwoodmedical
The Value of Copyright for Natural Science Illustrators
Bill Westwood, MS, CMI, FAMI is a graduate of the Georgia Medical Illustration Program. A past President of the AMI, he also served two terms on the Board of Governors. He’s a recipient of the AMI’s Lifetime Achievement Award and the Brodel Award for Excellence in Education. His medical artwork has won 37 national awards, including a Billings Gold Medal from the American Medical Association and a Silver Medal from the LA Society of Illustrators. Bill’s a long-time speaker/author on business issues affecting medical illustrators and other visual creators, including: copyright, contracts/licensing, marketing, negotiation and pricing. In 1982, he created the Medical Illustration Source Book and guided its growth as Editor through 2000. He has been successfully self-employed since 1982, with a studio in Albany, NY.
Jacki Whisenant
University of Wisconsin | Madison Zoological Museum | jwhisenant.com | @jacki.whisenant
Art in the Museum: Historical Practices and Looking to the Future
Practical Conversation on Mental Wellbeing Panel Discussion
Jacki Whisenant is an illustrator and educator at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where they recently completed a master's degree in Entomology and currently work in the campus natural history museum. Jacki is grateful to have been a student of the California State University–Monterey Bay program in scientific illustration and hopes to encourage thoughtful collaboration between the conservation work done in collections and artists who can communicate that work to a wider audience.
Julia Nepper (she/her)
University of Wisconsin | @DietDrNepper
Practical Conversation on Mental Wellbeing Panel Discussion
Dr. Julia Nepper (she/her) earned her Bachelor’s degree at the University of North Carolina–Wilmington, where she majored in biology and chemistry. She completed her PhD in Biophysics in 2017 at UW–Madison. She worked with Prof. Doug Weibel, and her research focused on biofilm formation in the model organism E. coli and adapting microfluidic techniques for use in K-12 science classrooms. After working as a science writer at Promega Corporation, she decided to return to academia to pursue a postdoc with Prof. Jo Handelsman. She now investigates the chemical and genetic regulation of soil microbe communities, as well as perceptions of race in academic settings.
Chelsea Mamott
Wisconsin Energy Institute | linkedin.com/in/chelseamamott/
Practical Conversation on Mental Wellbeing Panel Discussion
Chelsea Mamott is a Multimedia Specialist with the Wisconsin Energy Institute. She enjoys working at the intersection of design, communication, and science. One of her favorite hobbies is talking to researchers about things they are passionate about and helping them find a way to visualize it. If you are ever looking for her at an event just check the back row or wall, she will either be doodling sketches in her notebook margin or snapping some photos.
Christine Elder
Grace Hsu