Gayoung Lee
> pronounced [kɑjʌŋ] or “gah-young”
> science journalist/illustrator from South Korea
> polyglot who overthinks in 3+ languages
> currently writes for Scientific American
> learn more / contact
Featured stories
Physicists Catch a Quantum Butterfly Spreading Its Wings
28 Mar 2025, Scientific American
In a first, physicists have directly seen Hofstadter’s butterfly—a long-sought-after fractal in the quantum realm →
In the Quantum Realm, Time’s Arrow Might Fly in Two Directions
27 Feb 2025, Scientific American
Scientists studying a centuries-old mystery of physics suggest two “arrows of time” control the evolution of quantum systems→
Penguins Help to Map Antarctica’s Growing Mercury Threat
12 Feb 2025, Scientific American (web/print)
Molted penguin feathers record mercury infiltrating Antarctica’s food web →
Nearby Habitable-Zone Exoplanet May Be a World of Fire and Ice
3 Feb 2025, Scientific American
A newly confirmed exoplanet around a nearby sunlike star might be astronomers’ best chance yet to look for life beyond the solar system—but it’s still no place like home →
What the world’s 2024 elections mean for chemistry
7 Oct 2024, Chemical & Engineering News
Here’s how elections around the globe could affect chemistry—and all of science—for years to come. →
Scientists are on the cusp of unlocking the mysteries of dark matter
20 May 2024, Popular Mechanics
Possibly the most powerful energy source in the universe, confirmation of this elusive form of matter could rewrite the rules of the universe as we know it. →
Visual works
▶ Illustration & Animation
Sigrid Jakob profile (Scienceline, web, elements courtesy of Sigrid Jakob)
The psychology of Inside Out (Scienceline, web)
The thing about pink we don't see (Scienceline, web)
▶ Web UX/UI
Scienceline newsletter -- layout design, accessibility monitoring
"Dengue wave hits Mexican coasts" (Scienceline, web)
"Plastics don't dance—they waltz" (Scienceline, web)
"Quasiparticles are bringing science fiction to life" (Scienceline, web)
▶ Artwork
"NYC Under the Surface" (Scienceline, web)
"Gene editing, demystified" (Scienceline, video, motion design)
"Cocoa Crisis" (Scholastic MATH, print)
Published clips
2025
Scientific American
This Strange Mutation Explains the Mystifying Color of Orange Cats | May 15
We’ve Only Seen 0.001 Percent of Earth’s Seafloor. Here’s What That Really Means | May 9
Carnivorous ‘Bone Collector’ Caterpillars Wear Corpses as Camouflage | Apr 24
Lion Bite to the Butt May Be First Proof of Human-Animal Gladiatorial Combat | Apr 23
Quantum Randomness Could Create a Spoof-Proof Internet | Apr 21
‘Chaos’ Angle Explains Why Pedestrian Traffic Snarls to a Stop | Apr 17
Language Differences Control Your Brain’s Sentence-Prediction Habits | Apr 15
Physicists Are Closer Than Ever to Solving the Puzzle of the Ghostly Neutrino’s Mass | Apr 14
Crows Are Good at Geometry. Don’t Look So Surprised | Apr 11
JWST Spots Giant Spiral Galaxy Shockingly Early in Cosmic History | Apr 9
This Space Station Miso Tastes Out of This World | Apr 7
Physicists Catch a Quantum Butterfly Spreading Its Wings | Mar 28
After 286 Days in Space, NASA Astronauts Return to Earth with a Splash | Mar 19
What Sniffing Mummies Taught Scientists about Ancient Society | Mar 13
Intuitive Machines’ Athena Lander Reaches the Moon Lopsided—Just Like Its Predecessor | Mar 6
A New Device Lets You Taste Things without Actually Eating Them | Feb 28
In the Quantum Realm, Time’s Arrow Might Fly in Two Directions | Feb 27
Penguins Help to Map Antarctica’s Growing Mercury Threat | Feb 12
Athena, Next U.S. Commercial Moon Lander, Is Set for Spectacular Lunar Science | Feb 11
To Find Life on Mars, Make Microbes Wiggle | Feb 6
Nearby Habitable-Zone Exoplanet May Be a World of Fire and Ice | Feb 3
This Supermassive Black Hole May Harbor a Bizarre Star That Refuses to Die | January 17
Migrating Birds Sing to Team Up with Other Species | January 15
2024
Smithsonian Magazine
Astronomers Detect the Smallest Main Belt Asteroids Ever Found | December 12
Superflares Erupt From Sun-Like Stars Roughly Every 100 Years, a New Study Finds | December 16
Monarchs Might Soon Be Listed as Threatened Under the Endangered Species Act | December 11
Geneticists Solve the Mystery of Why Some Cats Are Orange | December 10
Chemical & Engineering News
Popular Mechanics
Scholastic Magazines+
(Full list, PDF available upon request)
Scienceline
The novel process to treat immune disorders, demystified | October 31 (video)
The climate mathematician | June 25
What developmental psychologists think about Inside Out’s picture of puberty | March 20
(Math + Art) × Fun = Mathemalchemy! | March 15 (audio)
The thing about pink we don’t see | January 9
Strange quasiparticles are bringing science fiction to life | January 7
2023
Scienceline
Plastics don’t break — they waltz | December 6
Can you take antidepressants with your other medications? | November 10
2022
Innovation Policy News
New COVID-19 Sensor Uses Nanotechnology to Deliver Fast, Accurate Results | May 30
Tech Industry Asks Government for Expanded R&D Support | May 17
Robotics and AI Offer New Hope for Spinal Injury Patients | April 18
Molecular Diagnosis Promises Individualized Treatment for Cancer Patients Under 25 | April 1
USTR Exempts Hundreds of Chinese Industrial and Medical Products From Tariffs | March 31
U.S. Freezes Engagement With Russian Patent Agency | March 16
Congress Increases Focus on Cybersecurity Risk Management | March 13
3 Things to Watch as Congress Wraps Up Competition Bills | March 2
DOE Developing First US Critical Minerals Refinery | February 28
SEC Wants Investment Funds to Bolster Their Cyber Defenses | February 18
CV/Resume
Education
New York University
• MA Journalism, Science, Health & Environmental Reporting Program (Dec 2024)
• BA Philosophy, NYU Abu Dhabi (Jun 2023); semesters abroad in NY, DC and Accra, Ghana
Journalism
News Intern, Scientific American
New York (Jan 2025 – Present)
• Pitch, report, and write news stories for web and print
• Help produce Spellements, SciAm's spelling puzzle game
Editorial Intern, Scholastic
New York (May 2024 – Dec 2024)
• Write and edit print and online articles on science and math topics for elementary and middle school students
• Participate in weekly meetings to plan story ideas, teaching materials, and social media for future issues
• Assist in filming, writing, and compiling lesson materials for teachers
• Created archives of vocabulary glossaries, teaching materials, and games from past issues
Graphics Editor, Scienceline
New York (Dec 2023 – Nov 2024)
• Wrote online articles on theoretical physics, chemistry, and applied mathematics
• Designed, illustrated, and animated visual aids for staff articles
• Renovated interface designs for improved user experience to the newsletter and the website
• Provided artistic direction for "NYC Under the Surface," an interactive project awarded Best Single-issue Student Magazine by the Society of Professional Journalists
Science Policy Reporter, Innovation Policy News
Remote (Feb 2022 – Jun 2022)
• Wrote, reported, and edited online news stories on U.S. science, technology, and health policy
Newsroom Intern, Voice of America
Remote (May 2020 – Aug 2020)
• Spearheaded coverage of East Asia for Polygraph.info, VOA’s international politics department
• Provided audio narration for feature about security legislation in Hong Kong
Managing Editor, VO1SS
London, UK and Tokyo, Japan/Remote (Apr 2019 – Dec 2019)
• Managing editor for media startup offering career guidance to 4000+ international students
• Conducted outreach and published weekly articles on 30+ international students and professionals in English, Korean and Japanese
• Hosted Search Engine Optimization sessions for 20 staff writers, increasing pageviews by 15%
Research
Research and Editorial Intern, American Enterprise Institute
Washington, DC (Jan 2020 – May 2020)
• Edited and prepared resident scholar blog posts for the CMS and social media content
• Researched and wrote questions for podcast on technological innovation and economic policy
Research Assistant, New York University
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Department of Social Science
(Nov 2021 – May 2022)
• Assist with research projects regarding topics such as urban studies, race, class, or citizenship.
• Copy edited publication manuscripts authored by university professors
Teaching, Learning and Development Lab
(Feb 2019 – Nov 2019)
• Completed the CITI Program training for ethical research
• Assisted in the creation of coded data and transcriptions of videos studying mother-child behavior
Skills & Programs
Multimedia
Adobe Suite
• Premiere Pro, Audition
• Photoshop, After Effects, Illustrator
Graphic Design/Animation
• Clip Studio Paint EX (Illustration, animation)
• Blender (3D modeling, animation)
• Figma, Canva (Design Cloud)
Management
• Search Engine Optimization (WordPress)
• Social media (Twitter/X, Instagram)
Languages
Languages
• Native proficiency: English, Korean
• Fluent: Japanese
• Working proficiency: Python, R
Honors
• Global Leadership Scholar (2020, United Arab Emirates)
• Citizen Ambassador for Fair Trade, Beautiful Coffee (2016, South Korea)
• Foreign Minister’s Award for Excellence in Oration, United Nations (2015, South Korea)
Gayoung Lee is a science writer and illustrator from South Korea. A philosopher by training, her interests lie in uncovering and writing about the unexpected connections between the world and various scientific phenomena, particularly in theoretical quantum mechanics and astrophysics. Her work has appeared in Scientific American, Smithsonian Magazine, Chemical & Engineering News, Popular Mechanics, and more. CV / Full Portfolio
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