Chronicle journalist to receive prestigious science communication award in US

The Chronicle Newspaper journalist, Jennifer Ambolley, has been named a winner of the 2026 Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communications, an international recognition presented by the US-based National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in partnership with Schmidt Sciences.

Ambolley was selected in the Science Journalist: Local/Regional category from more than 750 entries submitted for works published or aired in 2025, according to an announcement by the National Academies on October 26, 2026.

She is among nine journalists recognised across three science journalism categories in this year's awards, which celebrate journalists, research scientists and science communicators whose creative and original work makes science, engineering and medicine accessible to the general public.

Her official award profile describes her as a journalist whose work focuses on people most affected by environmental and public health challenges, connecting scientific evidence with the everyday experiences of communities in Ghana.

Her reporting has covered issues such as air pollution, breast cancer and environmental health, highlighting the impact of these challenges on people's lives and the importance of making scientific evidence accessible and understandable to the public.

Commenting on this year's recipients, Megan L. Ranney, chair of the selection committee and Dean of the Yale School of Public Health, said the winners demonstrated a wide range of perspectives, creativity and approaches to science communication.

“Whether illuminating urgent public health challenges or the wonders of the universe, the awardees demonstrate exceptional skills in making scientific discovery tangible, entertaining, and useful,” she said.

Neil H. Shubin, President of the National Academy of Sciences, said the winners were connecting new audiences to science through innovative approaches that sparked imagination and broadened people's understanding of what was possible.

Wendy Schmidt, co-founder of Schmidt Sciences, also underscored the importance of human connection in science communication at a time when artificial intelligence is increasingly being used to generate content.

“This year’s science communication award winners exemplify the power of connecting person to person, of sharing knowledge and wonder, to illuminate the world around us and within us,” she said.

The winners are expected to be honoured at an event in Washington, D.C., from November 17 to 20, 2026.

The awards seek to advance science communication by recognising outstanding work and creating opportunities for science journalists to build professional networks and pursue stories at national, regional and local levels.