Melissa Sevigny
Science & Technology ReporterMelissa joined KNAU's team in 2015 to report on science, health, and the environment. Her work has appeared nationally on NPR and has been featured on Science Friday.
Before joining KNAU, Melissa worked as a science communicator in the fields of space exploration, Western water policy, and sustainable agriculture. She was the education and public outreach specialist for the Phoenix Mars Mission, which landed on Mars in 2008. She has a bachelor's degree in environmental science from the University of Arizona and a master of fine arts in environmental writing from Iowa State University.
She grew up in Tucson, Arizona, where she fell in love with the ecology and geology of the Sonoran desert. She enjoys hiking, reading and gardening.
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Work has begun on a long-awaited wildlife overpass on Interstate 17 south of Flagstaff. It’s the first of three intended for the area, which wildlife biologists say will dramatically reduce car crashes with elk and other animals. -
The Trump administration cut funding and dismissed staff at the U.S. Global Change Research Program, which releases a Congressionally mandated assessment of climate change every few years. It’s unclear if the program will be revived in the summer legislative budget. Northern Arizona University climate scientist Ted Schuur spoke about the loss of American expertise. -
Dr. Tom Myers has worked as a physician on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon since 1990, and he knows all the ways people can get into trouble on a difficult hike. In fact, he co-authored the book Death in Grand Canyon. But that didn’t stop him from completing an epic journey on foot down the canyon’s entire length. His new book is The Grandest Trek. -
The Suckley’s cuckoo bumble bee has a unique life cycle. Like cuckoo birds, they lay their eggs in the nests of other species instead of rearing their own young. -
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation says Arizona will likely continue to take cuts in its Colorado River supply next year. The region’s historic drought shows no signs of easing. -
Flagstaff leaders and environmental activists say the Trump administration’s first 100 days have left Arizonans “dangerously vulnerable” to wildfires and other effects of climate change. -
National Park Service officials are working to eliminate a spawning ground for harmful nonnative fish in Glen Canyon. -
The Trump administration rescinded a $1 million grant that funded three community centers in Flagstaff where residents could get help during wildfires, floods and other emergencies. -
Six Southwestern tribes have formed a coalition to defend Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument against potential threats, including reductions in size by the Trump administration. -
It’s International Dark Sky Week, a worldwide celebration that was started in 2003 to raise awareness about light pollution. This year is the first time it’s come to Flagstaff.
