Since July 2023, as a Science Writer at ORNL, I report to the Communications Directorate, but I'm Q-cleared and “matrixed” to the National Security Sciences Directorate (NSSD), within the Nuclear Nonproliferation Program Office. Sometimes I write public-facing features for NSSD (and other lab directorates). Here are some examples of my work, which you can scroll through at left, read via links below in this column, or access from my profile page at ORNL.gov.

NATIONAL SECURITY SCIENCES DIRECTORATE (NSSD):

ORNL researchers translate foundational uranium science into active nonproliferation solutions (12/17/24)

ORNL's nonproliferation history (with Liz Neunsinger, for ORNL Review, 12/5/24)

Decades of nuclear expertise guides global nonproliferation innovation today (5/16/24)

Mohamad Zineddin: The science and culture of nuclear security (5/10/24)

PHYSICAL SCIENCES DIRECTORATE (PSD):

ORNL & KVA Stainless metals research partnership wins TCF award (Partnerships crossover, 8/19/26)

Researchers 'reprogram' materials by quickly rearranging their atoms (expanding on Zach Winn's MIT story, 6/16/26)

Chemists advance grid-scale energy storage (2/16/26)

Ionogel innovation could power safe, enduring energy storage (1/7/26)

Germanium detectors help ORNL physicists unlock the mysteries of the universe (2/19/25)

COMPUTING & COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCES DIRECTORATE (CCSD):

Quantum sensor research advances dark matter pursuit (2/16/26)

Exascale computing illuminates detailed structure of atomic nuclei (full story, PSD crossover, 3/5/25)

Supercomputing illuminates detailed nuclear structure (short version, PSD crossover, 2/26/25)

ENERGY SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY DIRECTORATE (ESTD):

ORNL research supports domestic manufacturing for industry, clean energy (PSD crossover, 10/8/24)

First-generation graduate Brittany Rodriguez advances manufacturing science at ORNL (7/19/24)

ISOTOPE SCIENCE & ENRICHMENT DIRECTORATE (ISED):

Neptunium study yields plutonium insights for space exploration (FFESD & NSSD crossover, 2/3/26)

COMMUNICATIONS & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DIRECTORATE (CCED):

Prolific patenting: Sam Hurst's legacy of invention at ORNL (Partnerships crossover, 6/30/26)

Graphite Reactor physicist returns to ORNL: WW2 & Korea vet recounts remarkable career (4/16/26)

PARTNERSHIPS OFFICE:

Carbon fiber production reaches an Innovation Crossroads (PSD crossover, 7/8/26)

Applied 2D Materials is fortifying steel for extreme environments (PSD crossover, 6/29/26)

DOE's Technology Commercialization Fund awards more than $5M for ORNL research (4/13/26)

ORNL receives six Federal Lab Consortium awards for Technology Transfer Excellence (4/8/26)

Knox Chamber event at MDF demystifies ORNL business partnerships (1/29/26)

Growing up in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, it’s tough to miss the historical significance of what was once called the “secret city.” When I was in grade school, my mother was the Executive Director of the Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, then housed adjacent to the Science & Energy Museum, so I spent many an after-school afternoon exploring the many in-depth STEM exhibits on the city’s fascinating past.

Many years later, when Oak Ridge was selected as one of three sites for a new national park, I was honored to have the opportunity to write the content for a new website, which went on to win an ADDY award. While the site we built functioned primarily as a gateway to encourage tourism to the three park locations and has since been redesigned, I hope it motivated users to dig more deeply into a complex and difficult subject.

In 2019, MoonPie teamed up with NASA to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo Moon Landing and increase traffic on their respective sites and social pages. I was tasked with writing the headline and subhead for the resulting landing page, along with related content about NASA’s mission preparation, which was unveiled in the lead-up to the anniversary.

In 2017, for MoonPie’s 100th anniversary, I was asked to create a headline and a series of fictional stories to prompt users to write in with their own personal MoonPie stories, as part of a sweepstakes offer designed to generate awareness and sales.

For DTNA, the world’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturer, I wrote the script for this six-minute video on DTNA’s comprehensive approach to sustainability (as exemplified by its new, state-of-the-art LEED Platinum headquarters in Portland, OR). I also wore a production hat for this short film, conducting on-camera interviews onsite, reviewing raw footage from the shoot afterward and determining where to intersperse and reassemble particular shots and animated infographics with relevant voiceover from my script, before handing it all back to videographers for final edits. I then worked with the voice talent in the studio for creative voiceover direction.

Also for DTNA between 2016 and 2020, I wrote many corporate blog posts, website features and social media articles on subjects including engineering innovation, electrification, autonomous vehicles, connectivity, company culture, brand history and much more. I also did ghostwriting of thought leadership pieces for the CEO and other c-suite executives. Here are a few examples.

Between 2016 and 2020, I did a lot of writing for Freightliner, the best-selling brand of heavy-duty trucks in North America, much of it centered extensively on the new Cascadia model of class-8 on-highway truck. Significant examples include this in-depth, technical, 31K-word, 70+ page new Cascadia Marketing Guide, designed as an internal dealer/sales resource, the result of dozens of comprehensive interviews with Freightliner marketing executives and engineers responsible for every aspect of the new Cascadia’s design. I also wrote the script for this pre-launch Future of Fuel Efficiency tour video.

I wrote a wealth of web content for a complete site overhaul we completed for the brand, which included content for the New Cascadia Configurator, an interactive truck configuration tool enabling users to custom-build a new truck, a site feature that won an ADDY gold award.

More recently, I’ve written more for the Freightliner website, this time about Freightliner’s first all-battery-electric trucks, the eCascadia and eM2, scheduled to hit production in 2022. With our new content, dealer searches increased by 134%, and search traffic jumped by 108%. Quote requests increased by 251%, and conversion rates jumped by an impressive 1500%. Here are some additional examples of what I wrote for Freightliner:

For DETROIT, an industry-leading manufacturer of integrated powertrain solutions (engines, axles and transmissions) as well as advanced safety systems and telematics for Freightliner and Western Star Trucks, I contributed a wide variety of both technical and marketing-oriented copy and content, including scripts for much of this series of six Detroit Assurance Driver Training videos, which focus on innovative new driver-assistance software enabled features. I also contributed extensively to a complete website content overhaul.

I’ve contributed writing and/or strategic input to several digital projects for NHTSA, a few of which include writing this fun little 404 redirect error page, a Distracted Driving campaign landing page (among others), and interactive AI scripts for an Alexa skill designed to allow users to access and review automotive recalls per make/model/year. I contributed strategic UX input for Last Call 360, an ADDY-Best-in-Show-award-winning, interactive 360-degree online VR experience aimed at reducing drunk driving, which got a lot of coverage, including spots in ADWEEK and FORBES. Our overall content refresh won Webby awards and increased site load times by 96% while increasing VIN lookup conversions by 350%. Page views went up by 200% and organic traffic increased by 310%.

A global, specialty chemical company with annual revenues in the range of $15B, Eastman employs around 15K people worldwide, creating a wide range of consumer- and industry-targeted products and materials. NAIA is Eastman’s line of cellulose-based fiber, derived from trees, which Eastman sells to clothing manufacturers interested in more sustainable manufacturing practices for comfortable, durable, versatile garments and more. For Eastman, I wrote web content about NAIA production and sustainability, along with a press release for their partnership with Clemson University. A few years later, I wrote about Eastman’s new line of fully compostable foodservice packaging, Aventa Renew. Here are some examples.

I’ve written for several Farm Bureau Health Plans projects, including this 2020 series of infomercial video scripts, which explain the technical details of Medicare in a casual, accessible way.

I’ve also written a variety of web copy for Farm Bureau Insurance, including First Mile, an interactive site designed to teach new teen drivers about the dangers of their first miles spent on the roads.

For a 2018 partnership between Farm Bureau Insurance and the University of Tennessee - Knoxville, I wrote copy for RUN THE T, an interactive, retro, 8-bit-style video game, playable online and featuring Farm Bureau’s popular Farmer Charlie character and University of Tennessee Football. The game won a gold ADDY award for best in show. This was a fun one. A couple years before that, I wrote some basketball radio spots for the UTK athletics department. Some examples are featured below.

In 2022, this time for the University of Tennessee Medical Center, I wrote a few month’s worth of multi-platform social media posts (not pictured), completing their content calendars ahead of time for later release.

Our creative director said we needed to find a way to appeal to casual beer drinkers and connoisseurs alike, much like the brand itself. It was decided that for the new site, we’d employ a toggle switch for users to access content from either point of view across most of the site. I suggested we call this juxtaposed, customized content for each audience “rowdy” and “refined” and was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to write most of the content for both versions of this complete site overhaul. This was a particularly fun project, especially writing the beer descriptions! Sales went up by 51%, and the new site won an ADDY award. Here are some examples.

For Paddy’s, we did a complete site redesign, and I was tasked with researching the history of the brand, writing all the content for the new site, and then devising and helping produce a series of video shoots, as we’d decided to populate the new site with short video spots to create movement behind the text appearing on the page. We also created a European/International version of the site with some key differences, as dictated by the client. Here are some examples of content I wrote and short videos I helped create, along with a series of “Paddyisms” I wrote, which appeared both on the site and on social media feeds. The new site went on to win an ADDY.

Teaming up with my team’s Digital Design Director, who handled the design, I was tasked with writing the content for a new site we created for WindRacer Wines, a vintner in Northern California that produces distinctive Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. We were pleased with how it turned out, as was the client.

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to write the copy for a complete site overhaul for Uncle Ray’s, an independent potato-chip brand that’s been around since 1965, based in Detroit. Our strategy was based on a great idea from our award-winning social-media department: What if Uncle Ray, a charming, older gentleman—who happened to be a little less than tech savvy—had written most of the site copy himself? I ran with it and had a lot of fun, but sampling chips and writing the new flavor descriptions for each bag might’ve been the best part. The new site went on to win an ADDY award.

For Weigel’s, a southeastern chain of convenience stores, I wrote this headline for their homepage, emphasizing the freshness of their popular milk products, as well as a series of descriptions for their line of premium candybars.

I wrote so many lifestyle/cultural/tourism-oriented blog posts for Ekornes/Stressless, a leading international luxury furniture brand from Norway. Here are some examples.

For Atrium Health (formerly Carolinas Healthcare System), a non-profit hospital network in North and South Carolina, I wrote a series of digital content focused on living healthy, active lives, targeting new movers to the region, blending lifestyle tips with a touch of regional tourism and personalized doctor profiles to drive engagement. This involved direct mail, eblasts and landing pages featuring actual doctors and their preferred healthy activities. Here are some examples.

Between February 2021 and October 2022, I wrote approximately 121 blog posts (ranging from 800 to 3,000 words each), plus various other site- and landing-page content for Cinch Home Services, a home warranty company, on a wide range of topics related to the housing market, home systems and appliances, maintenance, repairs, cleaning and DIY home tips. In this case, our award-winning SEO team provided topics and keywords for me to incorporate. I always welcome the opportunity for more long-form writing in the digital ad space, and I enjoyed this extended stint with a single client. Here are many examples.

My team designed a new website for the Knoxville Area Urban League of Young Professionals (KAULYP), and I was fortunate to be tasked with rewriting the content. This new page launched in 2021.

The Crystal Coast refers to approximately a dozen coastal communities south of the Outer Banks, NC. I wrote a little web copy for them but also worked in a video production role, reviewing raw footage, selecting appropriate segments and reorganizing it for our videographers to edit, ultimately producing a seven-part short film series called “This is Carteret Catch,” about a local alliance of fisheries and businesses dedicated to preserving and promoting the fresh seafood available in the area. Here are a few examples.

For Tellico Village, a planned retirement community on Tellico Lake near Knoxville, Tennessee, my team was tasked with a partial refresh of the site content and design. I wrote copy for the effort, and here are some examples.

I worked as a content writer on a complete site overhaul for Suntex Marinas, a chain of fresh- and salt-water marinas located across the US and in the Caribbean. I think we vastly improved their web presence, winning a bronze ADDY award along the way. Here are a few examples.

At Qsource, where I worked as a technical writer from 2010-2015, I submitted technical writing for external quality review organization (EQRO) contracts with the State of Tennessee and TennCare, Tennessee’s managed Medicaid program.

I served as project lead and principal writer on the two largest annual EQRO deliverables, the Annual Quality Survey of managed care organizations (MCOs) and related Performance Improvement Projects, evaluating MCOs to determine compliance with TN healthcare law.

I also wrote a monthly Healthcare Policy Report/newsletter for CoverKids, the State’s comprehensive children’s health insurance (CHIP) program, and content for the annual Impact Analysis Report. I submitted writing, editing and proofreading for 50+ annual reports on MCO policy, performance and Medicaid/CHIP oversight, based on research, data extraction and the translation of complex clinical audit findings into readable text for Tennessee legislators, TennCare leadership and healthcare industry executives. Here are a few examples:

In 2021, my team was tasked with creating an all-new site for ZorroSign, the only blockchain-backed, hyper-secure digital signature, documentation and transaction software platform. While incorporating elements of our Traditional department’s branding approach, I was tasked with writing this B2B SaaS company’s new digital content. Here are some examples.

In 2015, I worked at Trakref, a Nashville-based environmental technology startup and B2B SaaS HVAC optimization app developer. Trakref served clients with large HVAC outlays, including universities and big chains like Target and Safeway. While there, as Content Strategy Manager, I wrote and edited a wide variety of original content for digital and print, including this comprehensive core brochure.

I also wrote B2B marketing assets, white papers, case studies, thought leadership, blogs, social media, conference materials, an internal style guide and advertising for Trakref’s SaaS app.

I led copywriting and strategic content initiatives, collaborating with the User Experience & Marketing Director on a full rebranding, while creating, authoring and managing web content, improving SEO performance and optimizing lead conversion.

I served as lead writer for all content initiatives and wrote content for (and maintained) company LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter accounts. I also did some occasional ghostwriting of thought leadership pieces for the CEO. Here are some examples.