Kathy Hunt

Writer, journalist, photographer

United States

I am an East Coast-based journalist, content writer and editor, nonfiction author and photographer experienced in the fields of STEM, healthcare, environmental issues, culinary arts, travel and education. My nationally syndicated features have run in such newspapers as The Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times and Baltimore Sun and online at MSN, Yahoo and Reuters. I have covered food, travel and sustainable living for such print magazines as VegNews, BackHome, and Town and Country Living. I am the author of three nonfiction books, "Fish Market" (Running Press, 2013), "Herring: A Global History" (Reaktion Books, 2017), and the technique cookbook "Luscious, Tender, Juicy" (Countryman Press/W.W. Nortong, 2021). I have served as a contributing writer to two other nonfiction books, "Entertaining from Ancient Rome to the Superbowl" (Greenwood, 2008) and "Start Your Own Microbrewery, Distillery, or Cidery" (Entrepreneur Media, 2015).

Adept at covering a range of topics, I write long-form STEM articles for Standardization News, the digital and print magazine of the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) International. I also create and edit newsletters, press releases, online content and marketing materials in the fields of healthcare, education and social services. Additionally, I manage social media campaigns and am versed in SEO, web analytics, content management and AP, AMA and Chicago style guides. My clients include nonprofit agencies, digital media companies, higher education, start-ups and a Fortune 100 company. Skilled at digital and 35mm photography and the photo editors Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom and Gimp, I supply the images for my articles as well as for the stock photo company Shutterstock.

Along with being an ardent and skilled writer, I am an eager traveler. To date, I have independently journeyed through 52 countries and six continents, collecting and working on story ideas wherever I roam. Equally passionate about education, I am an alumnus of Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism and hold two Master of Science degrees. When I'm not working or exploring the world, I serve as the board vice-president for the therapeutic art program Barnstone Art for Kids and mentor young writers and photographers. For further information about me and my work, please contact me at [email protected].

Portfolio

STEM Writing

Standardization News
01/01/2024
Stone Cold

For as long as humans have erected homes and other structures, stone has served as a principal building material. Ancient builders quickly realized that sturdy, weather-resistant, easily stacked stones were essential not only to creating but also maintaining their temples, homes, bridges, and more. Modern contractors and craftspeople also appreciate the strength, durability, and longevity of these quarried rocks, and today refer to them as dimension stone.

Standardization News
11/01/2023
Vertiport Standards Take Off

Vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft have come a long way since the groundbreaking, 20-second flight of the Cornu helicopter in 1907. From that first flight in Normandy, France, to the introduction of commercial helicopters in the 1940s and the tilt-rotor Osprey of the 1980s, people have imagined using these vehicles for personal transportation. Advocates have long argued that “air taxis,” as they are colloquially known, would alleviate traffic congestion, reduce the demand for paved...

Standardization News
09/01/2023
Standards Hit the Gym

Standards are helping to make school gymnasiums safer and minimize the risk of life-threatening injuries. In terms of equipment, gymnasiums possess an array of possible hazards, including basketball backboards and backstops, wrestling mats and mat lifters, and divider curtains. In 2013, a Georgia high school student died when he became trapped in a rolled-up gym mat, and in 2016, a Missouri high school senior sustained fatal injuries when a basketball backstop struck him.

Standardization News
07/01/2023
Fueling the Future of Aviation

Supply chain concerns have sparked a renewed interest in sustainable aviation fuels, which could be the key to aviation’s future.

Standardization News
05/01/2023
Leaps and Bounds: Additive Manufacturing Advances

When it comes to notable technological innovations of the 1980s, people often cite the home computer and the compact disc. Yet, the era also marked the introduction of a new form of manufacturing technology: additive manufacturing (AM). According to ISO/ASTM 52900, AM applies “the additive shaping principle and thereby builds physical three-dimensional (3D) geometries by successive addition of material,” offering an alternative to conventional manufacturing

Standardization News
03/01/2023
Safer Sports and Play

As spring returns to the northern hemisphere, so, too, do enjoyable outdoor pursuits. Gone are the laborious tasks of raking leaves, scraping ice, and shoveling snow, replaced by cycling, jogging, and numerous organized sports. While these outside activities are healthy and fun, they are not without risk. According to the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control in 2014 and 2019, 34 percent of all U.S. emergency room visits occur in the...

Standardization News
01/01/23
Fifty Years of Consumer Safety

With the stroke of a pen in October 1972, the United States’ Consumer Product Safety Act became the front line for American consumer safety. It would go on to make products safer through the recall and/or ban of those deemed hazardous to consumers. It would likewise spur the creation of product safety standards and the formation of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) – as well as ASTM International’s committee on consumer products (F15), which celebrates its 50th anniversary in...

Standardization News
11/01/2022
Big Data and Robotics/A-UGVs

The field of robotics and A-UGVs is growing rapidly, and the amount of data generated by these machines is immense. Standards can help.

Standardization News
09/01/2022
A Forum to Promote PPE Around the Globe

In June 2020 the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) launched a $4 billion financing platform to increase PPE production and access in emerging nations. It also approached ASTM International about sharing its PPE compliance requirements and standards on a global scale. In March 2021, the IFC and ASTM signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) around global PPE. The MoU focused on two primary objectives: Raising awareness of medical and non-medical PPE standards and...

Standardization News
07/01/2022
Making Autonomous Flight a Reality

Almost from the first moment humankind took to the skies, we have searched for a way to make flight, and flight safety, less dependent upon human actions.

Standardization News
05/02/2022
Better Spray, Better Crops

For as long as humankind has sown seeds and tended crops, it has battled against weeds. These pesky plants spring up in small plots and large fields, robbing seedlings of necessary sunlight, water, space, and nutrients such as phosphorus and potassium. They retard plant growth and increase their susceptibility to disease, fungus, and insect damage. In some instances, they are allelopathic, releasing toxic chemicals that injure or destroy crops.

Standardization News
03/01/2022
Keeping Consumer Products Safe

Helping to ensure that consumers stay safe from the products they use every day might seem like a given. Yet, until the mid-twentieth century, consumer product safety standards were not commonplace. In 1962, the United Kingdom (U.K.) introduced the Consumer Protection Act, which set forth standards to reduce the possibility of injury or death by purchased goods. Ten years later, the United States enacted the Consumer Product Safety Act of 1972, which spurred the creation of the Consumer...

Standardization News
01/01/2022
A Bright Future for Recycled Copper

For over 10,000 years, humankind has employed copper in everything from tools to ornamentation. Archeological evidence indicates that ancient Egyptians mined and cast copper for agricultural equipment, cookware, water vessels, and cosmetics, while pre-Columbian South Americans hammered and smelted it to produce decorative and religious objects.Thousands of years later, copper remains indispensable. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, copper ranks third, directly behind iron and aluminum,...

Standardization News
09/01/2021
Safer and More Secure Cannabis

Cyberattacks, those headline-grabbing, electronic thefts of data and confidential information, are on the rise globally. In May 2021, cyberattacks paralyzed Ireland’s and New Zealand’s healthcare systems, cutting off access to records, delaying surgeries and appointments, and compromising patient privacy. Because it is considered an emerging market comprised primarily of small businesses, the cannabis industry is especially vulnerable to cyberattacks.

Standardization News
07/01/2021
Standards up in the Air

One hundred years ago, the possibilities for the fledgling aerospace industry were limitless. Less than 20 years earlier, in 1903, Americans Wilbur and Orville Wright had proven that sustained manned and powered flight was possible. This opened the doors to aircraft production, sales, and military usage. Subsequent technical innovations, including the conversion to metal frames, cantilevered wings, and the shift from biplanes to monoplanes further expanded the use of airplanes. By the...

Standardization News
05/01/2021
Plastics and the Circular Economy

For centuries, the global economy has been linear, taking, making, and discarding materials, often as single-use products. According to the World Bank, each year the world produces over 2 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste, much of which ends up in landfills. Wealthy countries, which represent about 16% of the world’s population, create 34%, or 683 million tonnes, of waste overall. Of the waste from these countries, 51% consists of materials that could be recycled but that have instead...

Standardization News
03/02/2021
Building to Weather the Storm

With extreme weather becoming more of a concern worldwide, new and revised standards are helping to build structures that can withstand whatever nature can throw at them – while additional outreach efforts build awareness.

Standardization News
01/04/2021
A Partnership to Prevent Infection

Preventing infection and disease transmission has been a primary goal of the global medical community for many years, particularly with regard to the medical equipment and devices used for a wide variety of purposes around the world. In fact, a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) covering data from 5,600 hospitals from 2015–2017 found that over 300,000 healthcare-associated infections were reported. Many were fatal.

Standardization News
11/02/2020
Representative Sampling of Cannabis

A critical issue in the growing field of cannabis and hemp is how to take a representative sample of a crop for testing. Help is on the way.

ASTM International
09/01/2020
Resilience Brochure

Resilience, a structure’s ability to withstand and recover from disaster, is a critical issue in today’s world. Building residents, building owners, lenders, and institutional investors alike are vulnerable to the negative impact of natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, and wildfires.

Standardization News
07/01/2020
Drones Move into the Mainstream

In recent years, the world has witnessed a surge in the number of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) taking to the air. Commonly referred to as drones, these pilotless air vehicles have been embraced by millions, from hobbyists to commercial businesses to military personnel.

Standardization News
05/01/2020
Connected Exotechnology

Often used in industrial settings, exoskeletons can be, but are not always, connected to the internet. They are not to be confused with robots. Unlike robots, exoskeletons must be worn by humans in order to be operated.

Standardization News
05/01/2020
Safer Connected Consumer Products

We live in the age of Industry 4.0 or the fourth industrial revolution, an era in which factories and their products have become increasingly automated, self-monitoring, and computerized. One driver of this revolution is the Internet of Things (IoT). The IoT refers to everyday devices that can collect, transmit, and receive information through the internet.

Standardization News
03/02/2020
Greener Building with Hempcrete

Ask someone to name a product containing hemp and most likely, he or she will mention consumables or clothing. Yet for centuries, humankind has used the Cannabis sativa plant’s woody stem in construction projects

Standardization News
11/01/2019
Autonomous Vehicles Move Forward

n recent years, the tech world has been abuzz over the prospect of autonomous unmanned ground vehicles (A-UGVs) being used in industry. From carrying out routine surveillance, maintenance, and deliveries to material handling and assembly line work, these machines promise increased productivity and efficiency across a wide range of applications.

Standardization News
08/01/2019
The Fight against PFAS

Since the 1940s, manufacturers and consumers around the world have made use of the nonstick, stain-repellant, and waterproofing properties of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). These manmade chemicals appear in everything from food packaging, cookware, and rain gear to sealants, floor waxes, and firefighting foams.

ASTM Standardization News
11/30/2018
Autonomous Flight

Standards and certification are the next steps toward the autonomous flight of pilotless aircraft.

ASTM International
05/31/2018
Building a Better Boot

Work on specialized combat boots is leading to the development of international performance standards.

ASTM International
11/30/2017
Connecting International Aviation Regulations

Regulations from European and U.S. aviation agencies demand adherence to rigorous safety standards. Specifications from ASTM International’s general aviation aircraft committee are the solution the industry and agencies need.

Food and Travel Writing

W.W. Norton
12/07/21
Luscious, Tender, Juicy

Cooking methods for mastering the perfect, satisfying texture each and every time., Luscious, Tender, Juicy features techniques, tips and recipes for perfect texture in dinners, desserts, and more. by Kathy Hunt

University of Chicago Press
Herring: A Global History

Though tiny, the herring has played an enormous role in history. Battles have been waged over it. International economic alliances have formed over it. Major cities owe their prosperity to it. Political powers have risen and fallen with herring's own rise and fall in population.

Wholesale Food Supplier Marketing
Explaining Sustainability

Sustainable. Increasingly we hear that word tossed about by colleagues, consumers, public figures and the media. What exactly does it mean? In today’s world more and more people base their meal choices on how their food has been raised or caught.

Agweek
Spirits rise with New York retro gins

Ask a New York history buff about Dorothy Parker or Chief Gowanus and you might hear a discourse on the legendary writer and wit or the leader of the Canarsie Native American tribe. Mention these names to a spirits enthusiast and instead you may be sidling up to a bar and sampling gins from the New ...

Kitchen Kat
03/18/2019
9 Tools for Grilling Seafood - Kitchen Kat

Whether you're a newcomer to or longstanding fan of seafood, the thought of grilling fish and shellfish can be intimidating. I used to worry about what would happen after I placed a delicate piece of fish onto a searing hot grill. I might cook it too long or not long enough.

VegNews
Vegan Glazed Turnip Galette

f you loved our “Destination Veg” piIf you won’t be fitting a trip to Ireland in this month, take heart. From Cork’s Café Paradiso, these galettes are a savory, delicious way to bid summer a fond adieu and bring the first hint of fall into your kitchen—no airfare required.

Other writing and editing

Newsela
11/13/22
How Elected Officials Help Their Communities

In the United States, when people vote for a candidate, they entrust that person to listen to and address their ideas and concerns. Although issues may vary from community to community, people still expect their elected officials to work toward the same goal — representing their best interests in local, state or national government. During the 2022 midterm elections, voters had a wide range of issues to consider before casting their ballots. Some voters wanted their elected officials to...

422 Business Advisor
07/02/2021
TechBldrs. Providing Skilled, Professional, Comprehensive IT Services and Support

Whether you run a business of one or 100, technology plays an integralrole inyourday-to-daytransactions,facilitatingeverything fromreachingclients tomanagingproductivityandfinances.When a systemcrashes, a file is lostorkeyboardbreaks,time andexpertise are of the essence. Yet, few business owners have both at their disposal. That is where Exton-based TechBldrs saves the day.

422 Business Advisor
Eco-Friendly Solutions for De-Cluttering and Cleaning

As the coronavirus pandemic soldiers on, people everywhere are spending an exorbitant amount of time at home. Today we not only eat and sleep but also work, study, play and vacation there. More time at home gives us more time to scrutinize our living spaces and realize that we own far too much stuff. From dust-covered pianos wedged into dining room corners to towers of cardboard boxes crammed into garages in which no car can park, we recognize the need to clean out and clean up our homes....

Montgomery County Community College
Student Success

"The curriculum I was taught at Montco in the biotech/biomanufacturing program helped me have a better understanding of how GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) works, understanding batch records, and have good documentation principles that are absolutely necessary when working anywhere in pharma," he says.

Montgomery County Community College
Navigating the FAFSA

Please note that you can apply after the priority deadline but you may miss out on funding opportunities. Also, your financial aid may not be processed in time for payment due dates. In other words, don't miss those deadlines!

Salvation Army Newsletter
A New Avenue for Aiding Foster Children

When child welfare worker Susan Guntz first heard the statistic at a 2004, Washington D.C., foster care symposium, she was stunned. “If one family in every three churches across our country adopted a child out of foster care, there would be no more children waiting for families,” says Mrs. Guntz, a mother of six, one of whom is her former foster son.