MA in Communication

Jessica Hubbard, 2018

Jessica Hubbard (MA, 2018) built her academic experience at George Mason University around a passion for translating complex science into accessible, engaging communication. Her master’s thesis, “Creating Guidelines for Effective Weather Communication: A Qualitative Analysis of Message Strategies Through the Lens of Meteorologists,” reflects her early commitment to improving how scientific information is shared with public audiences.

During her time in the program, Jessica found particular value in courses such as Risk Communication with the late Dr. Rowan, which allowed her to develop deep expertise in a specialized area. She also gained valuable hands-on experience as a teaching assistant for COMM 101, where she strengthened her public speaking skills and developed a consistent practice of communicating ideas clearly and confidently.

Today, Jessica is a Social Media Strategist at Science, where she leads efforts to connect global audiences with scientific research. Supporting the Science family of journals’ social media presence—reaching over 16 million followers across 14 platforms—she focuses on developing strategic approaches to engage scientists and science audiences wherever they are online.

Jessica credits her Mason experience with helping her bridge the gap between science and communication. “With my undergraduate degree in atmospheric science, I learned how to do the science,” she explains. “Mason taught me how to communicate it.” Through coursework and internships—including opportunities with the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center and Virginia Sea Grant—she developed the skills needed to inform, educate, and motivate diverse audiences. These experiences ultimately paved the way for her role at Science.

Her work and leadership in science communication have been widely recognized. Jessica is the recipient of the Joe Witte Special Recognition in Science Communication Leadership Award (2017) and the Science Communication Excellence Award from GMU’s Department of Communication (2024). She has also contributed to the broader science communication community, including serving as host of the AAAS 2026 Annual Meeting Sci-Mic Stage, where she interviewed leading scientists and communicators. Her impact extends to digital engagement as well—Science’s Instagram earned Gold for Social Presence at the Society for Scholarly Publishing’s 2025 EPIC Awards.

For current students, Jessica emphasizes the importance of passion and intentional skill-building:
“Lean into what you are passionate about. What keeps me motivated is finding ways to bring what I love into my work. Public speaking is something I developed at Mason and during my internships, and I continue to create opportunities to use that skill in my current role.”