J.J. Hermes
Future City 1998
St. Paul’s School
Covington, Louisiana

EDUCATION:  B.Sci., physics and astronomy, University of Texas, Austin

CURRENTLY: Reporter, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Washington, D.C.  Graduate studies in astrophysics, fall 2008.

I graduated in May 2007 from the University of Texas at Austin with degrees in physics and astronomy, where I also served as editor-in-chief of the campus newspaper, The Daily Texan.  I have spent my time since graduation as a reporter, first for the McDonald Observatory, located in surprisingly mountainous West Texas.  Since last August 2007, I have been a reporter for The Chronicle of Higher Education, researching and reporting topics like Congressional earmarks and federal science policy.

I plan to do more science writing in the future, especially on astronomy.  I hope to begin graduate studies in astrophysics this fall, with a focus on researching how chemical elements and isotopes evolve in galaxies and in our atmosphere.

Incidentally, I went to a rooftop gathering at a condo in Washington a little while ago that overlooks the National Building Museum (where the Future City National Finals were held in 1998), and it brought back some good memories.