Shelby Rader, Assistant Professor of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Indiana University Bloomington, was selected on May 7 as a member of the 2026 cohort of Fellows for the Storymakers program at the University of Southern California’s Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability.
The selection highlights efforts to bring scientific research about earth materials and sustainability to broader audiences. The fellowship aims to help scientists communicate their work more effectively with the public, a need that is growing as environmental topics become more central in policy and daily life.
As part of her work, Rader studies how heavy metals such as lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements move through soil and water systems. These materials are essential components in batteries, electronics, and nanotechnology but can also pose health risks when present in high concentrations. Her research examines both their benefits as critical minerals for clean energy technologies and their potential environmental impacts when they enter food chains or water supplies.
Rader said: “Communicating our science research and the impact it has on the day-to-day lives of people in the U.S. and across the globe should be an integral part of what a geoscientist does. This program is an incredible opportunity to become much better at that.”
The Storymakers Fellowship includes lectures, workshops, studio time for creating original content, and activities designed to build connections among fellows from various institutions nationwide. According to USC requirements cited in the press release, fellows must show significant work on environmental or sustainability topics along with proven public engagement experience.
Rader is also known for hosting “Earth on the Rocks,” a podcast supported by a National Science Foundation grant that brings together scientists, students, and industry professionals to discuss both scientific findings and personal motivations behind their work. The fellowship will provide new opportunities for expanding this outreach effort.
Indiana University Bloomington functions as a public research university with a historic campus characterized by limestone architecture; it draws students from all 50 states and over 150 countries while contributing to Indiana’s economy through education, innovation, creativity, cultural life initiatives according to its official website.
