Joe Hanson
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Joe Hanson | |
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| Alma mater | University of Texas at Austin |
| Occupation | Biologist, YouTuber, Science Journalist |
| Children | 2 |
Joseph Haskell Hanson is an American YouTuber[1][2][3], biologist, and public speaker. He is best known for his work with PBS Digital Studios, including as the creator, producer, and host of Be Smart,[4] and the host and producer of Overview on PBS Terra.[5] Before he became a YouTuber, Hanson was a molecular biologist at institutions including the University of Texas at Austin and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
Early life and education
Hanson was raised in Sugar Land, Texas. His parents were both applied mathematicians. He graduated from I.H. Kempner High School in 1999. Hanson graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry. In 2013 he earned a Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Texas at Austin.
Career
Early career
In 2003, Hanson joined a research team at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX investigating markers of cancer risk. In 2004 he moved to Amgen Inc. in Thousand Oaks, CA working in manufacturing support. In 2006 he returned to UT-Austin to pursue a Ph.D. in the lab of Dr. Alan Lambowitz studying mobile RNA molecules.
YouTube channel, science communication
In 2010, Hanson began a science-themed Tumblr blog called It's Okay To Be Smart.[6] He was named by Time magazine in 2012 as one of the top 30 creators on Tumblr.[7] His approach to science communication and the popularity of the It's Okay To Be Smart blog attracted the attention of PBS Digital Studios[8], leading them to launch a YouTube channel of the same name in 2013. That same year, Hanson completed his Ph.D. and was selected for a AAAS Mass Media Fellowship.[9] The YouTube channel continued under its original name until 2022, when it was rebranded as Be Smart.
Hanson has contributed articles to WIRED, Texas Monthly, and Scientific American and gave a TEDx presentation in 2019 about climate change.
Personal Life
Hanson has lived in Austin, TX since 2006. He is married and has two children.
Awards
Webby Award - Best Web Personality - 2017
AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Award - 2021[10]
Hanson delivered the commencement address to the 2023 class of UT-Austin's College of Natural Sciences[11]
References
- ↑ "Creator Voices: Joe Hanson". blog.youtube. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
- ↑ Beyer, Anna Lee (2023-04-25). "YouTubers You'll Actually Want Your Tweens to Follow". Lifehacker. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
- ↑ "Scientists become a source of hope and information on TikTok, Instagram". Los Angeles Times. 2024-09-12. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
- ↑ "Be Smart". YouTube. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/@pbsterra
- ↑ https://www.tumblr.com/itsokaytobesmart
- ↑ Wagstaff, Keith (2012-01-26). "It's Okay to Be Smart — TIME's 30 Must-See Tumblr Blogs". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
- ↑ Brookshire, Bethany (2017-01-17). "Joe Hanson on Communicating Science on the Silicon Screen". The Open Notebook. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
- ↑ "Meet the 2013 Mass Media Fellows! | American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)". www.aaas.org. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
- ↑ "2021 AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Award winners named | AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Awards". sjawards.aaas.org. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
- ↑ "Award-winning PBS Science Communicator is 2023 Graduation Speaker | College of Natural Sciences". cns.utexas.edu. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
External links
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