For the past 15 years, Julie Halpert has co-taught an environmental journalism class in the University of Michigan’s Program in the Environment. The course has received rave reviews from students for providing practical tools for better understanding and communicating complex scientific and environmental topics to a wide audience. Halpert is also a freelance journalist. She has covered science and the environment for over two decades for a variety of national publications include Newsweek, The New York Times, Scientific American, The Yale Forum on Climate Change and the Media and Popular Mechanics. Much of her coverage has focused on the environmental impacts of the auto industry and green technologies. She also has reported on the air for many public radio programs, including The Environment Report, Marketplace and Living on Earth. She was one of the winners of the Edward R. Murrow Award, Audio News/Documentary Category for her contribution to The Michigan Radio documentary, Coal: Dirty Past, Hazy Future She is a founding member of The Society of Environmental Journalists, a professional organization dedicated to enhancing the quality and quantity of environmental coverage.