Ira Flatow
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Ira Flatow (Template:IPAc-en; born March 9, 1949) is a radio and television journalist and author who hosts WNYC Studio's program Science Friday.<ref name = npr>Template:Cite web</ref> On TV, he hosted the PBS children’s science series Newton’s Apple, a television science program for children and their families which won a Daytime Emmy Award.<ref name = Ira>"Ira Flatow". National Public Radio. Retrieved January 15, 2013.</ref> Later he hosted another PBS series, Big Ideas.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He has published several books, the most recent titled Present at the Future: From Evolution to Nanotechnology, Candid and Controversial Conversations on Science and Nature.<ref name = Ira/>
Personal life
Flatow is a native of New York and currently lives in Connecticut.<ref name = npr/> He has been married to realtor Miriam Flatow (née Wagenberg) since 1983<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and has three children.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Education
Flatow graduated from State University of New York at Buffalo<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> with a BS in engineering in 1971.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Career
High School Television
Flatow's career in broadcasting spans 7 decades. In 1966, Flatow began his career in broadcasting working in television at KHD-21 TV at H. Frank Carey High School in Franklin Square, New York. Working in the school's TV studio, he operated a camera during the taping of Spanish and other educational TV shows broadcast to 5 other high schools in the district.
Early Public Radio: WBFO,Buffalo
In 1969, Flatow began working in radio at WBFO, in Buffalo, New York, first as a reporter covering Vietnam anti-war demonstrations and riots, city council meetings and general assignments. He finished as news director, 1971. During this time, he was working on an engineering degree at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Flatow's first science stories were created in 1970 during the first Earth Day.<ref name = npr/>
National Public Radio
From 1971 to 1986, he was on staff at NPR serving as a production assistant, associate producer, producer and science correspondent and reported on topics including the Kennedy Space Center, Three Mile Island, HIV/AIDS and the South Pole. From 1991 to 2013 he hosted Science Friday for NPR, which he anchored each Friday afternoon, discussing topics in science and technology.<ref name = npr/><ref name = Ira/>
PRI, Public Radio International
On January 1, 2014, the Science Friday program moved from NPR to PRI (Public Radio International) with Flatow continuing as host.<ref name = Ira/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
WNYC Studios
On April 11, 2018, distribution of Science Friday changed hands once more when it went from PRI to WNYC Studios.<ref>'Science Friday' partners with WNYC on distribution Current Public Media, January 11, 2018. Retrieved January 11, 2018.</ref>
Television
From 1982 through 1987 he hosted the Emmy Award-winning PBS science program Newton's Apple, which originated at KTCA in St. Paul, Minnesota. In 1991, Flatow wrote and reported science and technology for CBS News' CBS This Morning. He has discussed scientific topics on programs such as the Cablevision program Maximum Science. He hosted the PBS series Big Ideas produced by WNET. His TV credits include science reporter for CBS This Morning, Westinghouse, and cable's CNBC. Flatow wrote, produced and hosted an hour-long documentary about the history of the transistor called Transistorized!, which aired on PBS. He has talked about science on a number TV shows including The Merv Griffin Show, Today, Charlie Rose, and The Oprah Winfrey Show. He has authored three books on science and technology: Rainbows, Curveballs, and Other Wonders of the Natural World Explained; They All Laughed... From Light Bulbs to Lasers: The Fascinating Stories Behind the Great Inventions That Have Changed Our Lives; and Present at the Future: From Evolution to Nanotechnology, Candid and Controversial Conversations on Science and Nature.<ref name = Ira/><ref name = XI>Template:Cite web</ref>
Flatow is founder and president of the Science Friday Initiative (previously TalkingScience) a nonprofit organization producing radio, television, and online science content <ref name = Ira/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2009, Flatow had a voice cameo appearance as himself on the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory in "The Vengeance Formulation" (season 3, episode 9). In the episode, Flatow interviews Dr. Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) on his research on magnetic monopoles. Flatow was given a co-star credit.
In 2013, Flatow appears as himself, on the set at Warner Brothers Studios, for another guest-star appearance on The Big Bang Theory, interviewing Dr. Sheldon Cooper and Dr. Leonard Hofstadter on Science Friday about Cooper's failed discovery in "The Discovery Dissipation" (season 7, episode 10).
In 2017, Flatow once again appeared on The Big Bang Theory interviewing Leonard Hofstadter for "Science Friday" (Season 11, Episode 2). He was given a credit as Co-star.
In 2014, Flatow settled a dispute with the federal government over a federal grant from the National Science Foundation. Flatow did not admit any wrongdoing and he and his company settled with the government for a fee of about $146,000. Flatow and ScienceFriday, Inc., were barred from future federal grants for one year, ending in 2015.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
Honors and awards
- Doctor of Humanities, SUNY Buffalo (honorary 2014)
- Distinguished Visiting Fellow, University of California, Santa Barbara (2014)
- Doctor of Science Education, Muhlenberg College (honorary 2013)
- American Humanist Association's Isaac Asimov Science Award (2012)
- Nierenberg Prize for Science in the Public Interest (2010)
- Member Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- American Institute of Biological Sciences President's Citation Award (2008)
- National Science Teachers Association Faraday Science Communicator Award (2007)
- Alan Houghton Award, Harlem Children Society (2006)
- National Science Board, Public Service Award (2005)
- National Technology Leadership Excellence Award (2003)
- E.A. Wood Science Writing Award (2002)
- AAAS-Science Journalism Award - Television (2000)
- Carl Sagan Award for Public Appreciation of Science, Council of Scientific Society Presidents (1999)
- Women in Communications Matrix Award (1992)
- AAAS-Westinghouse Science Journalism Award - Radio (1983)
- AAAS-Westinghouse Science Journalism Award - Television (1983)
- National Association of Science Writers Science In Society Journalism Award (1981)
- Ohio State Award (1981)
- Bronze Cindy Award, Information Film Producers of America (1980)
- American Psychological Foundation National Media Award (1977)
- Second Prize: Physics, Science Fair; H.Frank Carey High School (1965)
References
Bibliography
External links
Template:Commons category Template:External media
- Ira Flatow Facebook
- Substack
- Science Friday official website
- Science Friday Initiative web site
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- Interview with Ira Flatow, A DISCUSSION WITH National Authors on Tour TV Series, Episode #22 (1992)
- 1949 births
- American radio journalists
- American television journalists
- Living people
- NPR producers
- University at Buffalo alumni
- 20th-century American male journalists
- American online journalists
- Journalists from New York City
- NPR hosts
- 20th-century American journalists
- 21st-century American journalists
- 21st-century American male journalists