Upon landing in Jordan to attend a conference on water sustainability in the Middle East in 2016, an aspiring science journalist overheard another passenger giving publishing directions right off the plane. Intrigued, the next day she found out he was one of the speakers at the conference, and that he was a big deal in the world of science journalism. Taking a shot, she approached Mohammed Yahia, then Executive Editor of Nature Research in the Middle East, and asked for an internship. His unwavering reply came: of course! A few weeks in, to her own astonishment, she was writing about carbon policies and taking phone calls with NASA. Seven years later, the same journalist is starting her PhD in environmental communication, with the support of one of many recommendation letters Yahia wrote her. But heart-wrenching news came before she was able to tell him. Yahia died on August 11th after a long battle with a rare form of bone marrow cancer, at the age of 41. This story is that of the author’s, and it is in no way exceptional. Throughout his remarkable career, the expertise and generosity of long-time executive editor at Springer Nature and former president of the World Federation…
Celebrating the Legacy of Trailblazing Arab Science Journalist Mohammed Yahia
August 16, 2023
