Julie Leibach

Web Managing Editor

Science Friday

Julie Leibach is the managing editor of ScienceFriday.com. She is a huge fan of sleep and chocolate.

Julie was born in Gainesville, Florida, where she spent many an afternoon exploring the woods around her family's house. That's probably where she first fell in love with nature, and she has fanned the flame ever since.  

When it came time to shape up and ship out, Julie attended Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, where she majored in biology and Spanish. 

After graduating from college, Julie decided to devote some time to Things Unrelated to Academics. But school eventually lured her back when she was accepted into New York University's Science, Health, and Environmental Reporting Program. Her close-knit class of 13 founded the program's online magazine, Scienceline, which published Julie's feature article "Black Mayonnaise." That story won first place for outstanding student reporting from the Society of Environmental Journalists in 2007. 

Julie is now the web managing editor at Science Friday, a website and weekly radio show hosted by Ira Flatow. Before that, she was a senior editor and a web manager at Audubon magazine. Though many scientific and environmental subjects appeal to her, Julie is particularly fascinated by the nexus between science and art. That's why, for several years, she enjoyed authoring Audubon's "One Picture" column, which appeared on the print edition's last page and featured a show-stopping image accompanied by descriptive text.

Gansus zheni

Fossil hunters have hit pay dirt in northeastern China

Over the past three decades, fossil hunters in northeastern China have unearthed thousands of superbly preserved Mesozoic bird remains.

Fossil hunters have hit pay dirt in northeastern China
Two sets of lips

What your lips are saying about you

What your lips are saying about you
Smart About Sharks

5 back-to-school books for science-loving kids

5 back-to-school books for science-loving kids
Corals in Lady Elliot Island Reef

For endangered corals, sperm-banking might be their best hope

For endangered corals, sperm-banking might be their best hope
Glass common octopus

These intricately designed glass sea creatures served an important educational purpose

These intricately designed glass sea creatures served an important educational purpose
female juvenile orchid mantis

It's an orchid. It's a mantis. It's incredible — and deadly.

The orchid mantis takes on the color of a “generic or an average type of flower” to attract bees and other pollinating insects as prey.

It's an orchid. It's a mantis. It's incredible — and deadly.
Surface of the moon

Photos from space reveal a moonscape wrought by geologic forces and celestial bombardment

Images from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera are on display from now until December 2016 at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

Photos from space reveal a moonscape wrought by geologic forces and celestial bombardment
Vegan cheeses

Vegan cheese is coming to a store near you

People who dropped dairy started missing 'funky, smelly, stinky cheeses,' so they made some out of nuts.

Vegan cheese is coming to a store near you
Vegan cheese

Vegan cheese is coming to a store near you

Next time you stop at your favorite cheese shop, be on the lookout for a special kind of cheese: vegan cheese.

Vegan cheese is coming to a store near you
Prospectors in Alaska

The New York Library has just released a treasure trove of incredible archive images to the Internet

The New York Public Library just made it easier for the public to access thousands of digitized high-resolution items as part of an effort to preserve our cultural history in the Internet Age.

The New York Library has just released a treasure trove of incredible archive images to the Internet

Picture of the Week: DNA Bunny

Picture of the Week: DNA Bunny
Corpse flower in bloom

Here's why they call this the corpse flower

A corpse flower bloomed at the Denver zoo last week — now another one is blooming in Chicago. In both instances, crowds of people gathered to smell their disgusting odor.

Here's why they call this the corpse flower

Picture of the Week: Corpse Flower

Picture of the Week: Corpse Flower
Saharan silver ant

This rugged African ant prefers to scavenge when the sand is at its hottest — approaching 150 degrees

This rugged little ant is small but mighty. It prefers to scavenge for food when the sun is really bearing down, with air temperatures up to 127 degrees and sand temperatures approaching 150. In fact, it's the heat that is their best ally.

This rugged African ant prefers to scavenge when the sand is at its hottest — approaching 150 degrees

Picture of the Week: Saharan Silver Ant

Picture of the Week: Saharan Silver Ant