Alumni Spotlight: Shraddha Chakradhar
By Kala Allen-Dunn | Aug 31, 2023
Murray State alumna Shraddha Chakradhar has been just a little busy since graduating
in 2011.
Following her undergraduate career at Murray State and her graduation from Boston
University鈥檚 College of Communication, Shraddha jumped into her new profession with
both feet and quickly found success. She became an associate producer for a documentary
production company, where she participated in the creation of a video series for the
Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., to commemorate the twentieth
anniversary of the completion of the Human Genome Project.
This led to a position as an associate researcher at NOVA, the long-running PBS science
documentary series, where she worked as a fact-checker and, in true PBS fashion, sharpened
her ability to make science accessible to all.
鈥淢y job was to fact-check the upcoming episodes of NOVA to make sure there weren鈥檛
any inaccuracies, but also to come up with the best way to explain some of the complex
science that was being described by the narrators of the series,鈥� she said.
This valuable skill of clearly describing complicated scientific principles and research
findings served Shraddha well, leading to the next step of her career advancement.
In 2014, she was named Associate News Editor for Nature Medicine, where, in addition
to reporting on biomedical research, including cancer and infectious diseases, she
discovered her talent for working with up-and-coming professionals. She has remained
committed to helping younger writers throughout her career and noted that it is one
of the most rewarding parts of her work.
After nearly five years with Nature Medicine, Shraddha became a reporter for STAT,
a sister publication of the Boston Globe. She was hired to write and produce Morning
Rounds, STAT鈥檚 flagship newsletter. A high-responsibility job from the beginning,
Shraddha鈥檚 position became even more critical when the pandemic hit, as STAT鈥檚 first
report on a strange new illness soon turned into daily updates and stories about COVID-19.
鈥淚 remember we started writing about COVID-19 before it was known as COVID-19. I think
the first entry was in January 2020, and this was when we were still describing it
as a mysterious pneumonia-like illness. We didn鈥檛 even know what we were getting ourselves
into at that point,鈥� she said.
Following her important work during the pandemic, Shraddha took a position as Deputy
Editor for the Nieman Journalism Lab, leading to her current position as Deputy News
Editor for Diversity at Science Magazine. In her current job, she focuses on health
and medicine, and her role as Diversity Editor means she gets to help shape the intersection
of science and society.
鈥淚鈥檝e developed a niche expertise in something that interested me, so I鈥檝e focused
on that for the past several years of my career. I鈥檝e leaned into a role that allows
me to cover not just broader scientific topics but also scientific topics that look
at science through the social lens,鈥� she said.
That niche focus allows Shraddha to put her considerable journalistic skill to work
in a way that promotes a more fair, diverse, and inclusive scientific community.
鈥淛ournalism as a field is very white. Historically, it was a profession of privilege.
In accepting my current position, I saw that [Science Magazine] created this position
at a time when a lot of places weren鈥檛 even considering creating positions. Post-2020,
everybody was scrambling to improve their DEI efforts, but it鈥檚 one thing to put out
a statement and say you want to do better; it鈥檚 another to put your money where your
mouth is and, in this case, to put up the money for this kind of position. The work
of this kind of job falls disproportionately on women of color, but I would much rather
help be a part of the change than sit it out.鈥�
Shraddha credited Murray State with laying a solid foundation for the curiosity and
critical thinking on which she has built her journalism career. While on campus, she
was a member of what was then called the Honors Program, which allowed her to take
advanced courses in subjects she might not otherwise have explored as deeply.
鈥淭he best part about being in the Honors Program for me was the opportunity to take
all of these courses that challenged me. I especially remember the Honors math class
because I would stay back and talk to the professor about things like the concept
of zero and infinity. I thought it was so interesting to learn about math in a totally
different way. Most math courses through grade school and college are about learning
techniques, but this was more about how we got to the point of being able to solve
problems the way we do. I really appreciated that behind-the-scenes look. There were
so many other Honors courses like that,鈥� she recalled.
Her Honors Program experience encouraged her to ask questions and think differently,
fundamental skills for any journalist. Her critical thinking skills were also sharpened
by her time as a student worker in the Department of English, where she had one-on-one
conversations with professors on a daily basis.
鈥淭he classroom time at Murray State was great, and the extracurricular time was fine
too, but I felt like individual interactions with professors is where I really benefited
in a way that prepared me for my journalism career because I leaned into asking questions
and probing them for advice,鈥� she said.
Shraddha鈥檚 decision to pursue a Liberal Arts degree at Murray State came from the
good advice of her mentor, Dr. Barbara Cobb. Shraddha cited the Liberal Arts program
as teaching her not to compromise her varied academic interests.
鈥淏asically, I just wanted to learn it all. I didn鈥檛 want to get so in the weeds on
one topic that I left any other topic by the wayside,鈥� she explained. Her desire to
avoid strictly pursuing the biology/chemistry pre-med curriculum at the expense of
her English classes led her to the Liberal Arts degree, which enabled her to create
exactly the kind of broad educational background and inquisitive mind needed for a
successful career in journalism.
In addition to laying the groundwork for an outstanding professional career, her time
at Murray State was also personally important for Shraddha. She initially moved to
Murray due to her mother, Dr. Kala Chakradhar, accepting a position as a professor
of social work, so her association with Murray State predated her attendance as a
college student. Once she became an undergraduate, she met fellow student Patrick
Greenwell during her first semester of college; they have now been married for ten
years and are proud parents.
When asked what advice she would give young journalists, Shraddha emphasized the importance
of developing a multifaceted resume and possessing the versatility necessary to enter
the job market.
鈥淚 came into this thinking that I would be a writer -- that my brand of journalism
would be the written word, so to speak. But my first two jobs, arguably the 鈥榗ooler鈥�
of the many jobs I鈥檝e held, were not in the written media at all. In graduate school,
they emphasized taking the news writing and feature writing courses, but also documentary
making courses and multimedia journalism. I regret to say I took those courses kicking
and screaming; I was not happy about doing it because I thought, why would I ever
need these skills? But, sure enough, that鈥檚 what I ended up using initially after
school.鈥�
While her career path may not have gone exactly as she expected, Shraddha Chakradhar
has certainly reached an incredible level of professional achievement on a national
scale. Her dedication to sharing her knowledge with the next generation of science
writers will undoubtedly influence the profession as a whole. She has proven herself
to be one of Murray State鈥檚 most brilliant alumni, and her Racer family will undoubtedly
be cheering her on as she continues to make us proud.