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Eric Berger (journalist)

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Eric Berger
Berger in 2020
Born (1973-04-19) April 19, 1973 (age 51)
Michigan, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Texas at Austin (BA)
University of Missouri (MA)
Mississippi State University
Occupations
Years active1998–present
Known for
Notable work
  • Liftoff
  • Reentry

Eric Berger (born April 19, 1973)[1][2] is an American journalist and meteorologist who is the senior space editor at Ars Technica and the editor of Space City Weather, a website covering weather in Houston.

Early life, education, and family

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Berger, who was raised in Michigan,[3] graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1995 with a bachelor's degree in astronomy.[4] Berger then attended graduate school at the University of Missouri where he received a master's degree in journalism.[5] In 2014, Berger completed a distance learning program at Mississippi State University to become a certified meteorologist.[6][3] Berger lives in League City, Texas, with his wife, Amanda, and two daughters.[3]

Career

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Science journalism

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Berger began working at the Houston Chronicle in 1998. He started his career at the Chronicle as a general assignments reporter before transitioning to the science desk in late 2001.[7] In 2005, he launched a science and technology blog on the Houston Chronicle website called SciGuy, which focused primarily on chemistry, physics, and astronomy.[6] Berger also began writing about weather during his time at the Chronicle.[3] Berger's coverage of Hurricane Ike contributed to the staff of the Houston Chronicle becoming a nominated finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting in 2009.[8]

After leaving the Houston Chronicle and joining Ars Technica, Berger also started the Space City Weather blog in October 2015.[3] The blog, which is operated jointly by Berger and forecast meteorologist Matt Lanza, provides weather forecasts for the Greater Houston area.[9] The blog's readership increased drastically during Hurricane Harvey, with over one million visits to the site on August 27, 2017.[3] In recognition of Berger and Lanza's service to Houston as weather forecasters, the mayor of Houston, Sylvester Turner, declared June 8, 2021, as "Space City Weather Day".[9]

Space industry journalism

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In October 2015, Berger left the Houston Chronicle to write for Ars Technica. As the senior space editor at Ars, Berger's primary focus is on NASA and private aerospace companies.[3][6] Berger authored Liftoff, which was published by William Morrow and Company and released in March 2021.[10][11] The book chronicles the early history of SpaceX and the protracted development program of the Falcon 1 launch vehicle.[12] He released a sequel in 2024, Reentry, that details the rise of the company through the first Falcon 9 launch, the development of the Dragon capsule, the inaugural Falcon Heavy launch, and the company's first human spaceflight.[13]

References

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  1. ^ Hixenbaugh, Mike; Hunn, David; Collette, Mark (September 2, 2017). "Terror, heartbreak and heroism as five Houstonians brave America's worst storm". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on June 3, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
  2. ^ Anthony Colangelo & Jake Robins (February 16, 2023). "Episode 95 – Horsesh (with Eric Berger)". Off-Nominal (Podcast). Event occurs at 04:02. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Jones, Chris (December 20, 2017). "Meet the Unlikely Hero Who Predicted Hurricane Harvey's Floods". Wired. Archived from the original on August 30, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  4. ^ Airhart, Marc G. "Alumnus Eric Berger Reflects on the Joys of Science Communication". Archived from the original on September 6, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  5. ^ Mackey, Weezie. "Rain Man". Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University. Archived from the original on September 6, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  6. ^ a b c Hardy, Michael (June 29, 2021). "Eric Berger Knows Which Way the Wind Blows". Texas Monthly. Archived from the original on August 30, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  7. ^ Balke, Jeff (June 13, 2012). "Know Your Local Media: The Chron's Eric Berger on Hurricanes, Climate Change and Evacuating Katy". Houston Press. Archived from the original on September 6, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  8. ^ Delaney, Edward J. "Breaking news online: How two Pulitzer finalists used the web". Nieman Journalism Lab. Archived from the original on September 6, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  9. ^ a b Welch, Monique (June 8, 2021). "Houston officially declares today, June 8, as Space City Weather Day". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on August 30, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  10. ^ "Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days that Launched SpaceX". Publishers Weekly. February 17, 2021. Archived from the original on September 6, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  11. ^ "Liftoff". Kirkus Reviews. January 6, 2021. Archived from the original on September 6, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  12. ^ Thornhill, John (April 7, 2021). "Liftoff by Eric Berger — Musk's otherworldly ambition". Financial Times. Archived from the original on September 6, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  13. ^ Tribou, Richard (September 21, 2024). "Review: Eric Berger's new book 'Reentry' digs deeper into SpaceX feats of last decade". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
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