From boat decks to the Stanford campus, Katie Jewett has charted a path through the worlds of marine science and communication. A 2011 graduate of the Human Biology program, Jewett’s love for the ocean and passion for storytelling have driven her to connect the work of scientists with global audiences, translating complex data into compelling stories. As the Associate Director for Ocean Communications at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, she now works at the intersection of science, policy, and public engagement, championing ocean sustainability, and helping shape how we understand the natural world.
Having spent her early childhood in various locations throughout the U.S., Jewett developed a love for the ocean when her family settled in the Bay Area. As a teenager, she began working on local ferry services to Angel Island. By the time she arrived at Stanford, she knew that she wanted to study the ocean and coastal environments and sought a major that would provide a solid foundation while also being flexible enough for her to carve her own path. “[HumBio] gave me such a nice breadth of knowledge in the sciences and then allowed me to drill down deeper into my concentration of marine policy and science communication,” she reflected. “I was curious to understand the competing or complementary uses of ocean and coastal resources, and tell stories about how we relate to those resources. HumBio gave me the space to explore and develop this curiosity.”
Upon graduation, Jewett wanted to immerse herself in the environment that had inspired her storytelling pursuits to begin with. For several years, she worked on research and tourism vessels as a deckhand, educator, videographer, and relief engineer, learning about life at sea and documenting marine science along the way. Jewett’s time on boats, particularly those that exposed passengers to the marine environment for the first time, introduced her to the many ways of appreciating, knowing, and relating to the ocean.
These hands-on experiences at sea laid the foundation for her next chapters as a science communicator. Distilling complex scientific information into a more relatable format has since become one of her biggest priorities. “You're not dumbing information down. You're distilling it,” she emphasized. “A mentor once said to think of your audience as innocent as opposed to ignorant. I never forgot that distinction.”
After leaving the boat world, Jewett worked as a science writer at the California Academy of Sciences where she wrote about the museum’s biodiversity research and reported stories for bioGraphic magazine. Today, she is the Associate Director for Ocean Communications at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. Jewett leads communications at the Center for Ocean Solutions within the Woods Institute for the Environment, one of the school’s three institutes. She also publicizes research generated by the Oceans Department. While no two days are the same, one thing remains constant–Jewett continues to share stories of ocean science, conservation, and solutions with global audiences.
For Jewett, science is more than just the process of collecting data–it’s about the stories of the people doing the research and the people those findings serve. One of the most important lessons she has learned throughout her career is the power of storytelling. “A lot of what I do and have done is yes, distillation, but a lot of it is understanding how to make it relatable,” she explained. “And one of the best ways you can do that is through the human connection.”
Jewett’s passion for storytelling is exemplified in a recent article and video she produced with her colleagues at Stanford, Oceans in a new light. The feature tells the story of how experimental physicists and marine scientists are working in collaboration with resource managers in Palau to develop a tiny chip that can be placed into the ocean to detect floating DNA fragments of specific species. This tool could provide biologists with crucial insights into marine health and advance our ability to make more informed marine resource management decisions. “What really made the story successful was that the people involved in the project represented it with such passion and connected viewers to this sense of place,” she explained. By inviting viewers into the process of innovation and highlighting the motivations behind the work, rather than just the results, the feature connects audiences emotionally to the science and the stakes involved.
Looking back on her time in Human Biology, Jewett believes the program provided her with the perfect balance of a broad biology background and deep subject knowledge. She is happy and hopeful to see the range of robust programs that help students develop science communication skills. “I really came to value the idea of being familiar enough with different subjects that you can ask informed questions,” she reflected. “For me, it’s been an advantage because I know enough to be able to converse with scientists but I also don’t know too much, so I can defend my reader and ask the questions that a reader might have who’s not familiar with the topic.”
Whether on a boat, in a lab, or at a desk developing content, Jewett emphasizes that science communication isn’t simply about translating complex ideas; it’s about building connections, fostering curiosity, and making science more relatable. Jewett’s journey from HumBio student to her current role showcases the value of using science communication to navigate today’s complex world. “No matter what career you choose, you will always have an audience or be in an audience,” she reflects. “Life is a constant conversation, and so having the skill set to read people and meet them where they’re at is invaluable.”