ABOUT GREYMATTERSvc

Today, deconstructing barriers and improving communication between the scientific community and the general public is more crucial than ever. Vassar College students passionate about fostering accessibility in science have worked diligently to engage the Vassar community in a neuroscience outreach initiative called Grey Matters Journal. Founded by students at the University of Washington, Grey Matters Journal is led by undergraduate students who are determined to encourage public interest, curiosity and participation in science. 

OUR MISSION

Grey Matters’s mission is to not only enhance public understanding of science through our journal, online publications, and events but also to help undergraduate students develop their skills as effective communicators in the scientific community. By operating as Vassar College’s accessible STEM publication, we strive to bring the public closer to the field of neuroscience.

AN INTERDISCIPLINARY MODEL

Grey Matters Journal at Vassar College publishes a semesterly brain sciences journal that is written, edited, illustrated, and produced by Vassar College students from a wide range of departments. Our organization’s interdisciplinary approach to science outreach and a strong focus on art enables us to not only provide a visually appealing and understandable read but to work with students interested in various disciplines— such as the arts, writing, the sciences, communication, and healthcare— in developing professional skills that will aid them in their respective fields.

MENTORING UNDERGRADUATES

Producing the semesterly journal is certainly our organization’s largest effort, and we take a very different approach from most other undergraduate journals around the country. Instead of accepting article submissions from students interested in getting published, we ask interested writers to submit an article proposal, which summarizes a topic of interest. The Leadership Team then reviews proposals and accepts those that we think will be successful articles. From there, our writers are paired with a team of undergraduate editors to help them develop and refine their writing, as well as undergraduate artists who work with them to design illustrations that complement their article. This model allows us to mentor every student who contributes to the journal, helping them develop their skills and become better writers, editors, artists, and members of the scientific community.

OUR ROOTS

Grey Matters Journal at Vassar College (GMJvc) is a chapter of the neuroscience outreach publication Grey Matters established at the University of Washington in 2013. As a collective, our mission is to provide an accessible platform to explore the latest topics in neuroscience and develop effective scientific communicators. Similar to the University of Washington flagship journal, which publishes every quarter, we publish a semesterly journal entirely written, illustrated, and edited by Vassar students.