Here’s a photo of journalist Alan Boyle—an expert in science and aerospace reporting, notably behind the popular "Cosmic Log" blog.

Biography: Alan Boyle

Alan Boyle is a distinguished American science and technology journalist. He served as science editor for MSNBC.com and NBC News Digital from 1996 to 2015 (Wikipedia, CASW). In 2015, he joined GeekWire as its aerospace and science editor (Wikipedia, GeekWire), and transitioned to the role of contributing editor around 2020 (Cosmic Log).

Career Highlights & Roles

• Creator of the popular Cosmic Log blog, launched in 2002, covering space exploration, paleontology, and physical sciences (Wikipedia, Cosmic Log).

• Host of the Fiction Science podcast, exploring the intersection of science, technology, and fiction (launched circa 2020) (Cosmic Log).

• Served as President of the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing (CASW) from 2013 to 2021, and continues to serve on its board (Cosmic Log, CASW).

• Has contributed to Universe Today since 2015 (Cosmic Log).

Early Journalism Background

Alan began his journalism career on the copy desk at The Cincinnati Post, then moved to The Spokesman-Review in Spokane, and eventually became foreign desk editor at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Cosmic Log). In 1996, he joined the newly launched MSNBC.com, one of the earliest pioneers in online journalism (Cosmic Log, GeekWire).

Awards & Recognition

Alan has been widely honored for his science reporting, including:

• AAAS Science Journalism Award (2002) for stories on genetic genealogy (Cosmic Log).

• Science in Society Award from NASW (2002) (Cosmic Log).

• CMU Cybersecurity Journalism Award (2003) (Cosmic Log).

• Pirelli Relativity Challenge Award (2005) for Einstein centenary coverage (Cosmic Log).

• Space Frontier Foundation Space Journalism Award (2006) (Cosmic Log).

• June Anderson Almquist Award from the Society of Professional Journalists (2007) (Cosmic Log).

• National Academies Communication Award for online news, honoring Cosmic Log (2008) (Cosmic Log).

• IEEE-USA Distinguished Literary Contributions Award (2008) (Cosmic Log).

• Von Braun Communications Award from National Space Club Huntsville (2014) (Cosmic Log).

• Additional accolades from National Academies, National Association of Science Writers, Society of Professional Journalists, Space Frontier Foundation, IEEE-USA, Pirelli Relativity Challenge, and CMU Cybersecurity Journalism Awards (Wikipedia, CASW, Cosmic Log).

Notable Publication

• The Case for Pluto: How a Little Planet Made a Big Difference (2009). The book offers an engaging defense of Pluto and explores the broader context of planetary science. It was praised by Publishers Weekly and was a finalist for the AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize in 2011 (Cosmic Log).

Summary Table

Why He's Notable

Alan Boyle has consistently made complex scientific topics accessible and engaging through his authoritative yet personable journalism. From pioneering online space coverage to authorship and thought leadership in science writing, his work reflects both breadth and depth.

Interested in more? I can help you explore his Cosmic Log archives or discuss themes from The Case for Pluto!