Cricket Media® Writer Receives 2018 AAAS Kavli Gold Award

CHICAGO, Nov. 14, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- MUSE contributor JEANNE MILLER has won the 2018 AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Gold Award in the category of Children's Science News. Her winning article, "Fighting to the End," appeared in the October 2017 issue of MUSE Magazine, a publication of Cricket Media®.

The article described the years-long effort to eradicate Guinea worm disease, a painful and debilitating condition once common to remote areas of Africa and Asia. The disease spreads when people drink contaminated water. Guinea worm larvae colonize the human digestive tract and eventually exit the skin via painful blisters. In 1986, there were 3.5 million annual cases of Guinea worm disease worldwide. Three decades later, there were just 21 cases.

Miller says, "There are clear heroes in this fight. One is Dr. Donald Hopkins, who first decided that the battle could be won. Another is ex-President Jimmy Carter, who used his foundation, the Carter Center, to obtain the resources needed for the campaign." During the process of research and writing, Carter Center staff "stood by to help at every juncture," says Miller.

Miller is a long-time contributor to MUSE and to other Cricket Media® titles. She majored in English in college and graduate school and later worked at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. "It was the perfect combination for a life of writing about science for young readers," she says. The AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Gold Award is her second win in this category. In 2011 she won for "Skywalking for Science: Aloft in Redwood Space," published in the April 2011 issue of ODYSSEY Magazine. That article explored the ecosystem that flourishes in the highest reaches of a redwood forest.

The AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Awards, administered by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) since their inception in 1945, honor distinguished reporting for a general audience. Endowed by The Kavli Foundation, today the awards are an internationally recognized measure of excellence in science journalism and are open to journalists worldwide.

Cricket Media® is a global education company known for creating high-quality print and multi- media products for children, families, mentors, teachers, and partners that improve learning opportunities for everyone. Led by its 10 award-winning publications for children and customizable research-tested collaborative learning platform, the company is committed to making, building, and supporting innovative learning experiences with high-quality age-appropriate content that help children safely experience the world. For more information, visit cricketmedia.com, CricketTogether.com, and TryEngineering Together.com.

Contact: Megan Fraedrich, 312-701-1720, mfraedrich@cricketmedia.com

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SOURCE Cricket Media