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Our Story
Raise a kid who dreams big!
Smore was created to provide the inspiration and support young kids especially girls need to grow up with confidence. We want to open new doors and push the boundaries of how children think about the world and their place in it. Science is everywhere and technology is a practical imperative of our lives. So we aim to be the media that informs and inspires the youth to be scientifically and technologically literate.
The idea for Smore became a reality through crowdfunding on Kickstarter in 2017. Today thousands of children from 20 countries worldwide are inspired to dream big. We continue to grow this international community and inspire our young readers to embrace their love for exploration and discovery and grow up to be the change-makers of our world.
Team
Dr. Sarita Menon is a co-founder. Dr. Menon holds a bachelor’s in chemistry, a master’s in biotechnology and a Ph.D. in Cancer Biology. With more than 17 years of combined experience as a scientific researcher and educator, today Dr. Menon’s purpose and passion lie in building scientific literacy skills in children and preparing them for a future of seen and unseen challenges.
Srijit Puthen, Director - Strategy, Distribution & Finance
Srijit(Sri) Puthen is a co-founder . He is a highly motivated engineer-turned- entrepreneur. With degrees in mechanical engineering and an MBA in finance Sri has held key management positions across various industries for over 15 years. As someone who believes in the power of entrepreneurship to drive social change, he has finally made the switch to full-time entrepreneur with Smore.Â
Amanda Baker, Ph.D. - Cover Story Writer & Chief Copy Editor
Amanda is an academic project manager, science writer, and STEM outreach advocate. She has established collaborations with national research societies and international publishers, and has coordinated the work of diverse groups from research faculty to K-12 classrooms. Her academic and professional careers have pursued a commitment to lifelong learning across the academic spectrum – including a PhD from Cornell’s Department of Earth and Atmospheric Science and undergraduate majors in geology, psychology, and German at Bucknell University.Â
Julie Nagy - Assistant Editor
Julie has Biology and Psychology degrees from Williams College. She has previously worked on autism research at the University of California in San Diego and then the Neuroscience Laboratory at the NASA Johnson Space Center testing astronauts. She believes everyone should aspire to continue learning and with Smore she hopes to encourage all children to realize that they, too, can achieve great things.Â
Sara Alexander - Copy Editor
Sara Alexander has a bachelor’s degree in biology from the College of William and Mary and a Master of Science in Environmental Science and Public Policy from George Mason University in Virginia. As an independent contractor in the Botany Department of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History she curated data, co-authored reports on modern botanical expeditions to the Guiana Shield of South America, and joined one rainforest expedition herself. Having been inspired by science magazines and books as a girl, she’s happy to play a small role in encouraging that for the next generation.
Staff Writers
Michael Graw, Ph.D.
Michael Graw is a freelance journalist and photographer based in Bellingham, Washington. He holds a PhD in oceanography from Oregon State University. Michael is excited about making scientific research easier to understand and sharing the stories behind the science. When not writing, you can find him climbing, skiing, and trail running. Writing for Smore gives Michael an opportunity to share the most exciting new developments in science today with tomorrow’s scientists.
Jeanne Panek, Ph.D.
Jeanne Panek is a research ecologist, nature adventure writer, and wilderness explorer. Her favorite part of science is the field work: radio-tracking jaguars in Peru, collecting clouds atop an Adirondack mountain, climbing trees in Yosemite to look for pollution injury. While doing science, she’s been charged by a mountain lion and piranha have nibbled her toes. In her free time, she searches for lost people in the mountains of California with her search-and-rescue team, plays mandolin and Minecraft. Jeanne believes the natural world is as magical as Hogwarts. She writes for Smore because she’s passionate about connecting kids with nature.
Danielle Ingle, Ph.D.
Dr. Danielle Ingle has been fascinated by bones, and the stories that they hold, ever since she first visited a natural history museum as a young girl. She completed her PhD at Florida Atlantic University and now works as a postdoctoral scientist at Texas A&M University at Galveston. Her research focuses on the shape and function of bones from large marine animals such as whales, manatees, and sea turtles. Our natural world has surprises for us around every corner, and Dr. Ingle’s favorite part about writing for Smore is inspiring the scientist inside of each and every one of our readers. In her free
time, you can find Dr. Ingle hiking and backpacking through Europe.
Talia Zeidner has a bachelor’s degree in Botany from Connecticut College, and was a 2022 recipient of the Botanical Society of America’s Young Botanist Award. She has loved the natural sciences all her life, and is excited to create educational content that will inspire curiosity for the natural world in the next generation of scientists.
Tess Taggart Bub has a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and a minor in data science from Houghton College. During her undergraduate studies, she conducted research in the areas of climate science, ecology, and muscle biology. She is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center studying host cellular response to viral infection. She is a strong believer that science can change the world, especially when it’s shared. In her free time, she loves communicating science, playing guitar and piano, and running. Writing for smore gives Tess the opportunity to help inspire a new generation of women in STEM.
I have a BFA from Parsons School of Design and and and an MFA from San Francisco State University. I enjoy writing for Smore Magazine because it engages children in science and engineering by making it relatable and fun. I also very much appreciate that Smore Magazine paints a diverse portrait of what a scientist or engineer can look like. The big technical challenges of the future will be an “everyone problem” and I think its important to show all kids that being a scientist is actually pretty cool.
Kasha Patel is an American science writer, stand-up comedian, voice artist, and podcaster. She currently works as the deputy weather editor for the Washington Post. She has produced the only regularly-recurring science comedy shows in the United States since 2014. Before her time at the Washington Post, she was a digital storyteller for the NASA Earth Observatory.
Charlie Evans
I am a human biologist. I did a Masters in microbiology after completing my Bachelors in human biology. I have a background in scientific writing for a younger audience, including the last year working full time for How it Works magazine. As a child, every page of every science textbook was just filled with men. I was taught about Neil Armstrong, but not Mae Jemison. I knew all about Charles Darwin, but not Mary Anning. I never doubted that I loved science, but I couldn’t see a place for me in the scientific world because I didn’t know the stories of the people like me. I was a girl from the working class, who didn’t know anyone who had been to university. I relied on the media for my inspiration, but even there, I never saw anyone like me. Writing for Smore means I can contribute to changing this for the next generation of scientists.
I’m an experienced science writer with bylines in Space.com, Live Science, Futurism, and many more. I also have experience as an educator and mentor. I write for Smore because children are curious and fascinated by everything around them. By putting science into their words, their language, you give kids the ability to really learn about the incredible world around them. By translating science into words that kids can really hold onto, you give them the ability to appreciate the world and be inspired to become a part of science and progress
Yamini’s (he/they) interests lie in environmental education, science communication and trying to build a better world. When not languishing in front of his laptop, they can be found outside, poking at any insect, bird or plant. They love making science accessible, especially to those who aren’t encouraged to pursue it. Yamini hopes that the young women who read Smore love learning from their articles and get just a little bit more excited about science!Â
Catherine Rasgatis
Catherine Rasgaitis has an associate degree in computer science from Highline College. She is an avid hackathon enthusiast and part of the MLH (Major League Hacking) Top 50 Hackers of 2022. She is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree at the University of Washington Seattle. Catherine is also part of the Washington NASA Space Grant Consortium. In her free time, Catherine enjoys dancing and playing the piano.
Designers & Other Contributors
Olga Gonina
Working with SMORE is a dream job I have been always looking for as an illustrator. Illustrating science for kids – what can be more exciting?
Editorial Guidelines
Smore introduces young readers to inspiring STEM women, opening doors to a community and fueling their interest for years to come. The Smore tagline is “To Know More and Be More” and Smore articles should have a clear focus on how young readers can take their interest further.
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Smore articles should be playful, conversational, and thought-provoking nonfiction. They should be accurate, but not sound like a textbook. Smore content can span the STEAM spectrum, from Earth science and astronomy to public health and technology. But all content should always be framed with kids in mind. Though targeted for young, female readers, the ideal Smore article should also be interesting to any boys and adults interested in science. Smore welcomes the use of humor as a tool for teaching and storytelling, but not at the expense of accuracy. Smore believes that any scientific concept can be clear and accessible for an interested young person if it is explained well.
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Because of the heavy use of images and illustrations, paragraphs should be short and well organized.Â
Guidelines
Format: Submissions should be sent to info@smoremagazine.com with a subject line in the following format:
Smore: LASTNAME, Title of Manuscript
-Manuscripts should be submitted as .doc files
-Include the title, submission date, author name, word count, Flesch Kincaid Grade Level, and Flesch Kincaid reading ease at the top of the first page (see section below on readability scores).
-Include the author last name and page number as a header in all subsequent pages.
-Use Arial or Times New Roman size 12 font, have 1-inch margins, be left justified, use single spacing within paragraphs, include extra line between paragraphs.
-Put any section headings within articles in bold font.
-Include all measurements in both US and metric units. Include a full list of references/source materials in References section (see below).
-Italicize the 5-10 most relevant technical terms and include clear/brief definitions in a Glossary section at the end of the article (see below).
-Include Images section with links or copies of suggested images as guidance for illustrator as relevant (see section below).
Tone/Style
Authors should consult sample article link (at end of file) as a reference for the general tone, storytelling style, and use of images common in Smore.
References
Authors are expected to provide a full list of references with all submissions. Authors are expected to ensure the scientific accuracy of all represented material. References should be included in APA format at the end of the manuscript with relevant links whenever possible. (Note: Wikipedia is not an acceptable source).
Images
Authors are asked to provide examples or links to potential suggested images when relevant for an article. In particular images that are clear/academic representations of important concepts help to maintain the scientific accuracy of Smore illustrations. Please note that all providing images will be considered as a suggestion and does not guarantee inclusion in the final publication.Â
Glossary
While glossaries are important tools for young readers, Smore does not want them to be necessary for the enjoyment and understanding of an article. Authors are asked to italicize the 5-10 most relevant scientific terms within the text and then include them in an alphabetized glossary section at the end of the document. Each term should have a brief (no more than 20 words) description. If there seem to be more than 10 words that would benefit from a definition, it may be a sign that the content of the manuscript needs to be simplified.
Reading level
Smore content should be clear and accessible for young readers. As a general guideline, Smore articles should have a Flesch Kincaid Reading Ease of at least 60 and Flesch Kincaid Grade Level between 3-8.5. Authors can check the readability scores for their drafts here:
Rights
All submissions become property of Smore Magazine, and rights therefore are transferred to Sandscreative LLC.
Write for us
We would love to have experienced writers who share our mission and would like to provide content that are playful, conversational and thought-provoking. Email us your resume and writing samples at info@smoremagazine.com
Payment
Please confirm with the Editor or Assistant Editor on an appropriate rate prior to submission. Payment will be given once the submission passes the copyediting stage without major revisions or rewrites. If your work does end up being accepted and published, you may request a digital PDF version of the finished product. Print copies of the magazine will be available for purchase on the Smore Magazine website at your own expense.
Ideas or feedback?
Please write to us at assteditor@smoremagazine.com. We look forward to hearing from you.
