School of Education and School of Environmental Sustainability Commencement Address

Emily Graslie

Science Communicator, Museum Professional, and Multimedia Producer 

Emily Graslie is an artist, science communicator, writer, and educational media producer whose work has significantly expanded public engagement with natural history, museums, and scientific research. Through digital storytelling and broadcast media, she has become a leading voice in science communication, connecting broad audiences to researchers, curators, and cultural institutions. 

Graslie began her career sharing behind the scenes museum research with public audiences, launching the educational YouTube channel The Brain Scoop, dedicated to exploring museum collections and scientific discovery. The channel’s success led to her appointment in 2013 as the first Chief Curiosity Correspondent at the Field Museum in Chicago. There, she and her team produced more than 200 episodes, garnering tens of millions of views and elevating the visibility of museum-based research worldwide. Her work has taken audiences from bat caves in Kenya to the Peruvian Amazon, translating complex scientific concepts into engaging and accessible narratives. 

In 2020, Graslie made her broadcast debut as host of the PBS series Prehistoric Road Trip, examining the paleontology and natural history of the northern Great Plains. She later hosted PBS Digital Studios’ limited series In Our Nature and continues to produce independent educational media in partnership with scientists, universities, and museums nationwide. 

Graslie has delivered keynote addresses for academic societies and research institutions and addressed tens of thousands at Chicago’s March for Science in 2017. Her honors include the American Alliance of Museums’ Nancy Hanks Award for Professional Excellence, multiple Webby Awards, recognition on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list in Education, and designation as a Chicago Tribune Chicagoan of the Year in the Arts. In recognition of her outreach efforts, a butterfly species, Wahydra graslieae, was named in her honor. 

Originally from South Dakota, Graslie earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Montana in 2011. She also holds an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Allegheny College.