Chandra Clarke

Chandra is interested in the impact of technology on society, and the use of science fiction as a tool for coming to grips with the future.

Chandra's website

Twitter: @chandraclarke

Background

Chandra has a background in journalism, business, the arts, and the sciences. She began her career as a freelance reporter, contributing to a variety of online and print publications. She moved up to Managing Editor of a weekly community paper before starting her own award-winning company in 1997. As an entrepreneur, she wrote a regular column for PROFITGuide Magazine, and as a citizen science advocate, she wrote for Popular Science. She maintains both a personal blog and a citizen science blog; the latter was a Webby Award Honoree. One of her short stories, "Daddy’s Good Girl" was anthologized in Single Women – Alive and Well.

Spoken Languages

• English

Research interests

• Science fiction
• Utopias and dystopias
• Science, technology, and society
• Public understanding of science
• Futures studies

Chandra is a Creative Writing PhD student. Her creative project will explore how new technologies are adopted and how they are spread. Of particular interest is why technologies are inevitably adapted into uses unforeseen by their creators, how a single technology can spawn countless cottage industries and mini-ecosystems, and especially how it can generate ethical dilemmas. For her critical project, she is also interested in researching the use of science fiction as a tool for the public understanding of science and the future.

Qualifications

• Industrial Robotics and Electronics Diploma, NRI
• BA, English and Psychology, Athabasca University
• MSc., Space Studies, University of North Dakota
• Fiction Writing Certificate, UCLA

Selected recent publications

Clarke, C., 2014. Hot or Not… For Sunspots. Popular Science. [online] 16 Jun. [Accessed 16 Jan. 2017].

Clarke, C., 2013. Why Passion Is for Punks. PROFITGuide. [online] 22 May. [Accessed 16 Jan. 2017].

Bodine, B., Clarke, C., Evans, L., Kulik, C., Lau, K., Lo, C. and Ohlandt, C., 2002. Global space outreach initiatives and new ideas from the Space Generation Summit. In 53rd International Astronautical Congress of the International Astronautical Federation(IAF), Houston, TX.

Clarke, C.K., 2001. Daddy’s Good Girl. In: D. Lorang and A.E. Byrnes, eds., Single Women – Alive and Well! 1st Books.

Recent presentations and conferences

Clarke, C.K., 2014. TEDx: You Can Do Science Too! [online] [Accessed 16 Jan. 2017].