Keynote speaker Bryn Nelson, Ph.D

Bryn Nelson, Ph.D., is an award-winning science writer and former microbiologist. After receiving his doctorate from the University of Washington, he shifted course through the science communication graduate program at the University of California at Santa Cruz.

Since then, he has accumulated more than two decades of science journalism experience, including seven years at Newsday. Nelson has written for dozens of other outlets, including The New York Times, NBCNews.com, the Daily Beast, Nature, Mosaic, and Science News for Students. He lives in Seattle.

Author of Flush: The Remarkable Science of an Unlikely Treasure

“With humor, insight, and intestinal fortitude, Dr. Bryn Nelson persuades us that a ‘shittier future’ will happier, healthier, and wealthier. Flush is a fascinating read.” Michelle Nijhuis, author of Beloved Beasts

“A smart, deeply researched book. Nelson explores how the revulsion we feel toward an everyday bodily function is holding us back from a slew of imaginative and even ingenious responses to some of society’s biggest problems.” Dan Fagin, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Tom’s River

“Flush is a delightful counter to our ingrained and misplaced disgust, a deep, thoughtful, erudite, and surprisingly funny tour through the history, mystery, and promise inherent in our waste.” Maryn McKenna, author of Big Chicken and Superbug