Kim O'Connell

At Johns Hopkins, Kim O’Connell is a lecturer for the MA in Science Writing program.

O’Connell is an award-winning writer with more than 25 years of publishing experience. She has published articles and essays in a range of national and regional publications, including The Washington Post, The New York Times, Ladies Home Journal, Undark, Atlas Obscura, Catapult, Al Jazeera (English), PsychologyToday.com, National Geographic News, National Parks, and American History.

Although her interests are broad, she often writes about conservation, preservation, sustainability, architecture, parenting, and education. She has also written 15 nonfiction reference books for young people and has published fiction and poetry as well. Her essays about her family’s experience with selective mutism, a childhood anxiety disorder, have appeared in publications including The Washington Post, Huffington Post, and a textbook on speech disorders. She has been a writer in residence at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and at Shenandoah and Acadia National Parks. She holds a Master of Arts in historic preservation from Goucher College and a Bachelor of Arts in literature from the University of Maryland. Her website is kimaoconnell.com.

Awards

• Excellence in Teaching Award, Johns Hopkins University’s MA in Science Writing Program, 2020

Featured Works

• “Saving Islands in the Sky: Preserving Red Spruce in the Appalachian Mountains,” Kim O’Connell, A.T. Journeys Magazine, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, June 1, 2023
• “The Barrier-Breaking Rowers of America’s First All-Black Crew Team,” Kim O’Connell, Smithsonian Magazine, July 1, 2022
• “Connective Tissue,” Kim O’Connell, Campfire Stories: True Tales from America’s National Parks and Trails, Mountaineers Books, April 1, 2023

Mentions

• “Historic Howard University Crew Honored with Boat Dedication in D.C.,” Row2K.com, August 30, 2023
• “From Little Saigon to Eden Center: The story of Northern Virginia’s Vietnamese community,” Dish City Podcast – WAMU, June 23, 2022
• “‘It’s A Place That Makes Me Feel Like I’m Home’: How Eden Center Became A Hub For Virginia’s Vietnamese Community,” DCist.com, February 25, 2019