Mercer University alumna Katie (Atkinson) Konans has been named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 in Media list for her innovative work crafting NASA’s audio storytelling strategy. Konans, who graduated from Mercer in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism, was recognized in her role as the audio storytelling lead at NASA.

“Not only is my job super fun and engaging, but I also feel that it makes an impact,” she said. “Because I am focused on communicating NASA’s science and space storytelling, I’m able to reach and connect with individuals, and that’s the most meaningful thing.”  

In less than five years, she built an audio storytelling strategy that brings educational and inspirational stories from the space agency to millions of podcast listeners. Konans launched the space agency’s flagship podcast, “NASA’s Curious Universe,” in 2020. It’s now in its sixth season. 

“‘NASA’s Curious Universe’ was designed to answer that question of, ‘What does NASA sound like?’” Konans said. “Each episode is designed to bring podcast listeners on an adventure with a NASA expert. We’re really focused on offering podcast episodes that only NASA can bring to listeners, so we do that through leveraging our unique access to experts, unique locations and scientific results.”

Konans has received the NASA Early Career Achievement Medal, a Webby Award, and the Robert H. Goddard Award for her team’s contributions to NASA’s public engagement and communication.

She credited her education at Mercer and the Reg Murphy Center for Collaborative Journalism, as well as an internship at Georgia Public Broadcasting, for her success.  

“Working in the teaching hospital model of the (Murphy Center) really set me up for success,” she said. “By the time I started as a NASA intern, I already had several internships in the media workplace that I think really primed me to be able to succeed at NASA.”