John Higgins

Background

About John Higgins

Throughout my journalism career I told true stories that made sense of our complex society so my readers could make better decisions and more informed judgments about the world around them. I refined that storytelling ability at The Seattle Times with an approach called “Solutions Journalism,” which blends explanatory, investigative and narrative techniques to highlight solutions to seemingly intractable social problems. That experience taught me that people trust data, but they remember stories. I adapted those techniques to help nonprofit organizations tell their own stories about solving difficult problems.I now practice those skills and experiences as a science writer/editor for Fred Hutch News at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center.I also have written two reports as a communications consultant for Deans for Impact, a national nonprofit that works with teacher preparation programs to make sure new teachers understand and can apply the science of learning to create rigorous, inclusive and equitable classroom environments.Recently, I completed the Certificate in Professional Technical Writing program at the University of Washington to reinforce my storytelling abilities with the tools, techniques and strategies of technical communication. The program emphasized audience analysis and research including persona development, empathy maps, user journeys and usability testing.I'm also working on a nonfiction book about the new science of teaching based on research I began in the Knight Science Journalism Fellowship at MIT (2012-2013 academic year). Visit my professional web site, The Story of Teaching, at http://thestoryofteaching.com. Follow me on Twitter at @jhigginsST