Edge Effects is seeking new editors!
Interested in environmental questions, communicating with the public, or learning new skills in digital publishing? Join your fellow graduate students in producing the Edge Effects magazine and podcast.
Edge Effects (edgeeffects.net) is a weekly digital magazine and podcast about environmental issues. Produced by UW graduate students, Edge Effects publishes a wide variety of public-facing writing, audio, and art that responds to ongoing environmental debates at the intersections of the sciences and the humanities. We cover compelling topics like decolonizing infrastructure, plastic straw bans, the global legacies of plantations, Indigenous food sovereignty, climate data in watercolor, and green video games. In our fifth year of publication, our readership has continued to grow and expand—recently averaging around 16,000 views a month—as we reach new audiences and explore new conversations. It’s an exciting time to be part of the team!
All interested graduate students from any academic discipline are strongly encouraged to apply. You’ll make a great editor if you have: an interest in digital and public scholarship, strong organizational skills and attention to detail, and experience editing or a willingness to learn. If you aren’t yet an affiliate with CHE, the Center for Culture, History, and Environment, we’ll ask you to join.
As an editor, you’d be responsible for soliciting pitches, offering editorial feedback, preparing pieces and podcasts for publication on the WordPress site, and attending a weekly hour-long meeting (during the academic year). We’re also interested in those who may want to specialize in audio editing or visual design.
Each editor brings their own existing skill set, knowledge base, and passions to the board, and the collaborative work we do is made all the better by that diversity. We look forward to inviting new perspectives to the board.
Learn more
Please send a brief letter (500-700 words) expressing your interest and describing any relevant experience you may have to Laura Perry, Managing Editor, at lrperry@wisc.edu by 8:00 pm on Friday, September 20th.
Include the following in your letter of interest:
- your department and where you are in your graduate studies (dissertator, etc.)
- any experience in editing, writing for a public audience, sound production, graphic design, visual culture, social media, or digital publishing
- The number of months you’re able to commit to serving on the board (we usually ask for a year-long commitment)
- why you want to join the Edge Effects board
- an idea about a potential Edge Effects piece or podcast (a topic or person you’d like to see covered in the magazine)
The Editorial Board will read these letters of interest carefully. After the board’s initial review, applicants may also be asked to edit a sample document as part of the process.
If you have questions about the position or the application, don’t hesitate to contact us. Please note that this position is only open to current graduate students at University of Wisconsin–Madison.