Amanda Song

Social Media Manager & Corporate Comms

United States

My mission is to elevate brands that promote progress on important but complex issues, such as climate change, the clean energy transition, and inclusivity in research and higher education.

Some of my career highlights include successfully implementing an employee advocacy program that curates news and increases external brand reach by 220%, with an ROI of $150,000+ yearly. As a passion project, I collaborated with Bloom Energy Women Leaders to launch an event that promoted deeper understanding and awareness of issues of intersectionality in the corporate world.

With an M.S. in journalism from Columbia University, I've worked at NBC News, gained experience in employee engagement at Target, and worked as a marketing strategist for start-ups and internet tech companies. Across my career as a science and technology writer I've told stories on innovative research, DEI in education, emerging technology, drones, and energy.

I am an enthusiastic content creator with a knack for video and I am passionate about telling brand stories that build and engage a global community. In my free time, I make fun videos for YouTube and TikTok and read self-help books.

Portfolio

Published Stories

NBC News
04/05/2018
Can this ultra-thin 'sunscreen' save the world's largest coral reef?

Like other coral reefs around the world, Australia's Great Barrier Reef is facing big threats from climate change - such as warmer and more acidic seawater and increased ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. Last year experts said large sections of the reef were essentially dead, bleached into oblivion.

UConn Today
07/20/2021
Five Weeks at B.R.A.I.N. Camp Could Give Kids a Brighter Future - UConn Today

On a recent cloudy day at Storrs, shouts of joy, confusion, and laughter could be heard in the Henry Ruthven Monteith building by Mirror Lake as a group of children tried to mix corn starch and water to the perfect ratio. The goal was to make oobleck, a pressure-dependent substance that changes from liquid to solid at the touch.

Medium
03/06/2018
Hartford's school system faces a unique challenge - Amanda Campanaro - Medium

This is the story of the parents and school administrators who are trying to achieve a more equitable education for their children. It began 29 years ago... Hartford, Conn. - In 1989, eleven Hartford families joined together to sue then Connecticut Governor William O'Neill on behalf of all children in their school district.

UConn Today
04/15/2021
Students Turn Classroom Knowledge into Real World Outcomes - UConn Today

In between virtual classes and homework, Olivia Swanson '21 (CLAS) tries to make sure Connecticut's local communities are well fed. As an advocacy outreach intern at , a regional food bank managed by Jason Jakubowski '99 (CLAS), '01 MPA, Swanson gets to put what she learns in her human rights classes to work first-hand.

NBC News
03/12/2018
What is 5G? The next wireless revolution explained

As smartphones and other digital devices get smarter and more numerous - and as the applications they run generate ever more data - the wireless network that connects them must change to keep pace. That's why telecommunications giants like Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint are racing to roll out the fifth generation of wireless network technology.

NBC News
05/13/2018
Why scientists trained this tiny spider to jump on command

Scientists in England trained a tiny spider to jump on command, but they didn't do it just for the bragging rights. The University of Manchester researchers trained the spider, a cute little arachnid they named Kim, because they wanted a better understanding of how spiders jump - so they can create spiderlike robots that one day might be used to kill crop-eating insects.

NBC News
03/08/2018
This talking robot head will be 'Space Alexa' for astronauts aboard the ISS

The International Space Station has hosted more than 230 astronauts over the years, and now it's set to host its first floating robotic head. A ball-shaped robot known as CIMON - that's short for Crew Interactive Mobile Companion - will join German astronaut Alex Gerst when he and his crewmates rocket to the ISS this June.

NBC News
03/20/2018
This basketball-playing robot is so good it could outshoot Steph Curry

A new basketball-playing robot in Japan may not be the biggest player on the court, but it sure can shoot. Known as " CUE," the six-foot-three-inch bot sinks free throws with 100 percent accuracy - 10 out of 10 in a fun new video released on March 14 (see below).

NBC News
02/28/2018
World's tallest building made of wood is planned for Tokyo

Sumitomo said its goal for the building is to show how cities might be transformed from artificial environments into a forest-like environment that is "a pleasant space for the people living there." John Fernandez, a professor of architecture at MIT, understands that rationale.

Social Video & Campaigns

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHCSpWdWaII
Dear Class of 2020

In lieu of the annual in-person graduation ceremony, my colleagues and I adapted to the changes of the pandemic to create a farewell campaign for our graduating seniors in 2020. With just 1.5 months to plan and produce it, we reminded hundreds of students that they were not alone during that time.

Precisionhawk
A History of Drones in Hurricane Response

The frequency of destructive hurricanes is increasing. Three of the five most disastrous hurricanes in the past decade occurred in 2017. Hurricane Harvey alone accounted for over $120 billion of damage in Houston, Texas, flooding 30,000 homes and 1 million vehicles, destroying utilities and infrastructure, downing power in many areas and stranding victims. Deploying drones to assist with search, rescue and cleanup has helped speed disaster recovery.

Columbia Journalism School Projects