# Joe Palca
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{{short description|American science journalist}}
{{Infobox person
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| name = Joseph Palca
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| image = Joe Palca, Davos 2015 - img 02.jpg
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| alma_mater = [Pomona College](/source/Pomona_College) ([BA](/source/Bachelor_of_Arts))
[University of California at Santa Cruz](/source/University_of_California_at_Santa_Cruz) ([PhD](/source/Doctor_of_Philosophy))
| occupation = Journalist
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| employer = National Public Radio
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| known_for = Science Journalism
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'''Joe Palca''' is an American correspondent for [National Public Radio](/source/National_Public_Radio). He specializes in science, and is the backup host for [Talk of the Nation Science Friday](/source/Talk_of_the_Nation_Science_Friday). Palca was also the president of the [National Association of Science Writers](/source/National_Association_of_Science_Writers) from 1999 to 2000. He currently serves on [Society for Science & the Public](/source/Society_for_Science_%26_the_Public)'s board of trustees.
== Education ==
He attended [Pomona College](/source/Pomona_College), graduating with an undergraduate degree in psychology in 1974.[{{cite news |title=Starr Named to Academy |url=http://magazine.pomona.edu/pomoniana/2020/06/24/starr-named-to-academy/ |accessdate=29 August 2020 |work=Pomona College Magazine |publisher=Pomona College |date=24 June 2020}}][{{Cite web|url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-palca-26b8114/|title=Joe Palca|last=|first=|date=|website=LinkedIn|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-10}}] He then received a [PhD](/source/Doctor_of_Philosophy) in [psychology](/source/psychology) from the [University of California at Santa Cruz](/source/University_of_California_at_Santa_Cruz), where he researched human sleep [physiology](/source/physiology).[{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=2101004 |title=Joe Palca {{!}} Correspondent, Science Desk |author= |date= |website=www.npr.org |publisher= |access-date=2021-03-20 |quote=}}]
==Career==
Palca began his career in journalism in 1982 at the [CBS](/source/CBS) affiliate in [Washington, D.C.](/source/Washington%2C_D.C.) He left television in 1986 to become a print journalist; he was both a Washington news editor at [Nature](/source/Nature_(journal)) and a senior correspondent for ''[Science](/source/Science_(journal))''. He went on to join [NPR](/source/NPR) in 1992.[{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/people/2101004/joe-palca|title=Joe Palca|website=NPR.org|language=en|access-date=2019-11-10}}]
He took a sabbatical from NPR in late 1999 for a year to study human clinical trials as a Kaiser Family Foundation Media Fellow.
He also co-created the NPR science communication training program, formerly known as Friends of Joe's Big Idea and now called [NPR Scicommers](/source/NPR_Scicommers), with fellow NPR staffer [Maddie Sofia](/source/Madeline_K._Sofia).[{{Cite web|url=https://www.wbur.org/npr/537735624/friends-of-joes-big-idea-fojbis|title=NPR Scicommers|website=www.wbur.org|date=24 August 2017 |language=en|access-date=2019-11-10}}][{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2017/08/24/537735624/friends-of-joes-big-idea-fojbis|title=NPR Scicommers|website=NPR.org|date=24 August 2017 |language=en|access-date=2019-11-10}}]
Joe retired from NPR in October, 2022, after 30 years of service.
==Awards==
* [National Academies Communication Award](/source/National_Academies_Communication_Award)
* Science-in-Society Award from the [National Association of Science Writers](/source/National_Association_of_Science_Writers)
* [James T. Grady-James H. Stack Award for Interpreting Chemistry](/source/James_T._Grady-James_H._Stack_Award_for_Interpreting_Chemistry) for the Public from the [American Chemical Society](/source/American_Chemical_Society)
* Journalism Prize from the [American Association for the Advancement of Science](/source/American_Association_for_the_Advancement_of_Science)
* Ohio State Award
== References ==
==External links==
*[https://www.npr.org/series/156490415/joes-big-idea Friends of Joe's Big Idea]
*{{C-SPAN|65095}}
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Category:20th-century American male journalists
Category:American science journalists
Category:Living people
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Pomona College alumni
Category:Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Category:20th-century American journalists
Category:21st-century American journalists
Category:20th-century American male writers
Category:21st-century American male writers
Category:University of California, Santa Cruz alumni
Category:21st-century American male journalists
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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Joe Palca](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Palca) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Palca?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.