Jordan Smoczyk

Jordan Smoczyk is Science Friday’s Grants Manager. She is passionate about working toward equitable opportunity for all people and believes that free, accessible, accurate science reporting plays a critical role in this. She has worked in almost every nonprofit sector and enjoys collaborating with other philanthropic, nonprofit, business, and community partners. She has been focused on securing equitable outcomes for people, including serving as a case worker for parents in Detroit’s TANF program, supporting the Shared Prosperity Partnership at The Kresge Foundation, writing grants in support of students with low incomes, and fundraising on behalf of people facing cancer, people in need of emotional and behavioral health support, and other costly healthcare needs.

She loves Science Friday because it’s a well of new, quality, free, programming, and education. She particularly enjoys programming on early childhood development, especially Adverse Childhood Experiences, public health, research on male contraception, and everything political science.

Most of Jordan’s personal time is spent recharging from the intense and highly focused work of grant writing in support of amazing underfunded work. This typically involves reading, watching HBO and Hulu, cooking, composting, or trying to avoid getting trapped in an Instagram doomscroll. She worries about how bad travel is for their planet but is never more refreshed than when she’s just returned from a trip to old friends or a new location. Jordan believes in finding joy and levity wherever possible in this one, short, precious life. She’s a proud Wisconsin Badger and boasts that she is Minnesota Nice. Jordan is new to New York, so if you see her, tell her where the closest wine bar or best ice cream shop is. She will probably go to both immediately.