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About

Greetings! You've reached the website of Julie West.

As a writer-editor and content manager, I communicate compelling stories across the sciences, engineering, arts and humanities. Feature articles, press releases, speeches, web copy, podcasts, video scripts, reports, social media posts and publications are among the deliverables I’ve shaped in support of institutional strategic messaging. I especially enjoy researching and translating complex subjects into engaging narratives for audiences of all ages. Areas of specialization include natural resource protection, renewable energy, health and biotechnology, sustainable development and climate action. 

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I have worked as a communications specialist for much of my career primarily serving universities, non-profit organizations and government entities, including the National Park Service, where I applied creative science communications to raise awareness around the challenges and solutions affecting protected park resources; and recently as an editor and science communications specialist at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia, where I profiled leading subject experts and an innovative range of sustainable research projects in areas such as the environment, energy, water, food and health, and the digital domain.

 

An advocate for big cat conservation, in 2014-15 I took my passion to protect big cats to India, where I studied tiger conservation as a Fulbright Scholar in affiliation with the Wildlife Institute of India. Engaging research and documentary journalism, my project examined wildlife conservation in a context of science, philosophy and spiritual-cultural traditions to discover connections between ancient and contemporary eco-traditions, and how these approaches impact the health of tigers, humans and forest ecosystems. (Read about my Fulbright project.) I've also produced podcasts for the Mountain Lion Foundation that communicate the diverse survival challenges that face the puma.
 

In my spare time I hike the beautiful trails of Colorado, my home state, and explore other locations when working and traveling abroad. I have enjoyed a lifetime of choral singing.

I look forward to exploring how my services can communicate the key messages and goals that guide your organization. Please reach out if you have a project that might benefit from my skills.

My CV is available upon request.  Areas of expertise include:

 

Strategic communications

 

  • Develop campaigns that identify and integrate the key messaging, stakeholders, teams and actions needed to deliver compelling products in support of an institution’s goals.


Content development / production

 

  • Identify and research priority topics and interview subject experts.
     

  • Write and edit copy for press releases, feature articles, speeches, op-eds, scripts, websites, exhibitions, brochures and other deliverables as needed.
     

  • Produce educational programs and publications such as podcasts, video profiles and magazines.
     

  • Administer assignments and manage production across teams and content platforms.
     

Content promotion

 

  • Manage editorial publishing calendars and the distribution of content across local, national and global channels as needed, i.e., web, social media, earned media, etc.

 

Digital applications

 

  • Utilize organizational software such as Asana, GatherContent, Trello and ClickUp, and various web management systems such as Drupel and CMS.
     

  • Apply knowledge of digital creation-editing platforms such as Adobe Creative Suite (Premiere, Photoshop, InDesign and Audition) and digital hardware, i.e., SLR cameras, audio recorders, etc.
     

  • Utilize media promotion software such as Meltwater.

Professional Affiliations

  • Fulbright Association
     

  • Science Writers Association of the Rocky Mountains

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