I was on NPR’s On Point to talk about why the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the images it collects matters. I’m on at roughly 30 minutes in.

I had the pleasure of interviewing astronaut Jeanette Epps for the Boston sci-fi convention Boskone (Feb 2023)

BU Today published a feature on a course I co-teach called “Environmental Equality and Urban Tree Canopies.” (Dec 15, 2022)

I gave a talk at “Clash of Realities,” a video game design conference held by Cologne Game Lab. (Sept 30, 2022)

The local organization Food for Free interviewed me for its Volunteer Spotlight.

12.9.21

I’m thrilled to have received a 2021 Somerville Arts Council (SAC) artist fellowship! Because of COVID (and because no one wants to attend another online reading), my community benefit project is very different than it’s been in the past. I’ll be providing free plant and garden consultations for Somerville residents via Zoom in which I’ll help diagnose plant problems, recommend steps to make your plants happier, suggest good holiday plant gifts, and more. Click here for more information. This event is supported by the Somerville Arts Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

11.4.21

I’m moderating a panel on Planetary Protection and Ethics at Boston University’s Kilachand Honors College.

10.20.21

BU Today published a piece about my nerdy office artifacts!

5.8.21

I was interviewed for NBC/NECN’s “Questions about the Government’s Handling of UFO Reports, *Explained”

*If saying how little you know means explaining it

4.26.21 “Manned Missions. Conquering Space. The Problem with Space Lingo” — an interview with BU Today

5.7.20

I did an interview with BU Experts about screen time during the pandemic.

11.20.19

I received a journalist fellowship to attend the Gerontological Society of America conference in November, 2019. I’ll be publishing pieces about the ethical and socio-economic implications of aging and anti-aging treatments after I attend.

“Get Off”— an interview on a BU student podcast about the implications of growing up with tech (Fall 2019)

10.12.19

I presented at the Global Community Bio Summit at M.I.T. on Oct. 12, 2019, about challenges and best practices for science communication.

6.30.19

Two of my pieces were recognized in Medium’s Best Short-form Science Writing for April-June 2019. My piece about the cancellation of what would have been the first all-female spacewalk was a News & Trends top pick, and my op-ed about commodifying space garnered an honorable mention!

3.10.19

Alberto Iglesias Fraga of La Razón interviewed me about robots, AI, and how much the future will resemble science fiction.

2.20.19

I discussed the role of robots and AI in the hospitality industry at the Hospital Innovation Planet Expo in Madrid. Here’s a short snippet.

1.16.19

Thank you to the Multi-talented Writers website for featuring me as a Renaissance writer, rather than as a genre specialist.

12.4.18
“A Look at Undergraduate Research: The Robot Revolution” CGS News

Boston University’s College of General Studies highlighted the work my research assistant and I are doing on AI and robots.

11.15.18

I presented at WGBH's BostonTalks: Robots. My Tamagotchi also made an appearance. My talk starts at 36 minutes and 30 seconds.

10.10.18

Heather Hughes, Kate Becker, Ellen Goldstein, Daniel Hudon, and I read our work, James Miller provided eye candy, and Harvard astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell answered audience questions during the Celebration of the Cosmos. The event featured space poetry, deep thoughts about the universe, galactic art, and beer. Thanks to the Somerville Arts Council for awarding me a fellowship for science writing and for supporting this event.  

9.21.18

I had a blast (sorry, can’t help myself) on CBC’s “The Current” talking about #SaveOppy and why we’re so attached to the Opportunity rover.

Read the accompanying article or click on the link within it to listen to the interview. Here’s the interview transcript.

8.30.18

Thanks to WGBH for having me on to talk about dystopian fiction for the Great American Read series. 

Have you ever wondered if your favorite dystopian novel could become a reality? Our next Great American Read: Beyond the Books Facebook Live discussion unpacks the rise of dystopian fiction and look at how current events and politics influence its popularity.  

8.1.18

I participated in a conversation about sci-fi at the WGBH studio with some awesome local writers (8/1/18).

What happens when you bring the lab into the library? At the intersection of books and brains, our next Great American Read PBS Facebook Live unpacks the relationship between science and storytelling. 

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)'s Thomas Levenson, Boston University's Joelle Renstrom, author and Radcliffe Fellow Kaitlyn Greenidge, and Meredith Goldstein of The Boston Globe sit down with WGBH Science Editor Heather Goldstone to explore how science fiction can shape readers' perceptions of the people behind the beakers.

I attended Launch Pad, a space camp for writers. It was one of the most stimulating and enjoyable weeks of my life (May - June 2018)

NPR's "All Things Considered" published and aired a piece for which they interviewed me about the YONDR phone pouches: "A School's Way to Fight Phones in Class: Lock 'Em Up" (Jan 2018)

The Boston Globe published an article/interview about my cell phone pouch experiment: "A BU Professor Locked Up her Students' Phones, and They Were Not Happy. At First." (Dec 2017)

BU Today published an article/interview about my classroom experiment with cell phone pouches: "Surviving Class Minus Your Cell Phone" (Nov 2017)

I was featured in a profile piece on Business Insider: "The Future is Weird, But At Least Joelle Renstrom is Here to Explain It to Us" (Nov 2017)

I was on a panel called "Artificial Intelligence: Beyond the Hype & Headlines" on Oct 26, 2017 in Boston 

I gave a talk at Boston HUBweek's Future Forum on Oct 13, 2017 called "Friends or Foe: How Culture Impacts Our Views of Robots"

TEDx WalthamED: "Science Fiction as a Looking Glass: Teaching Students to Save the World" (4/2/17)

I did an interview with SpareMin about my Could This Happen post about wearable technology, Google Glass, and Black Mirror

I did an interview with SpareMin about my Daily Beast piece about why robots deserve rights

I did an interview with SpareMin about my Daily Beast piece about why humans develop feelings for robots

I did an interview with John Fuselsang on Sirius XM's "Tell Me Everything" about my article "If I Only Had a Brain: How AI Thinks"

I talked to WBAL / Maryland's Morning News about my article "Can Robots Make Moral Decisions? Should They?"

Thanks to Doug Holder for interviewing me on Somerville Community Access TV's show Poet to Poet: Writer to Writer (10/18/16)

I had a great time talking to the KMSU's Weekly Reader about Closing the Book: Travels in Life, Loss, and Literature, as well travel, science fiction, and more!

I did a radio interview with WBAL / Maryland's Morning News about my article "Robots Are Taking White-Collar Jobs Too."

Events celebrating the release of Closing the Book: Travels in Life, Loss, and Literature:

Launch Party and Reading

Wed, Sept 16 at 7:30 pm

Aeronaut Brewery (14 Tyler Street, Somerville MA)

Featuring local writers Gila Lyons and Laura Kiesel and special musical guests Paper Waves.

Check out the event page for more details.

Reading

Monday, Aug 17 at 7:00 pm

Louie's Back Room (629 Walbridge Street, Kalamazoo MI)

Featuring local authors Becky Cooper and Sally Thelen.

Check out the event page for more details.

Closing the Book: Travels in Life, Literature, and Loss is a Small Press Distributor's Handpicked book of the month!

Closing the Book: Travels in Life, Loss, and Literature is a New Pages Editor's Pick.

Joelle was on Dr. Michael Harris's mind/body radio show talking about the events that led to the writing of the book.

Joelle recently received a Somerville Arts Council artist fellowship for short pieces of science fiction that  illustrate possible futures (2015)

Solas travel writing award for Most Unforgettable Character (2014)

Writers' Room of Boston Nonfiction Fellowship (2013)

Somerville Arts Council artist fellowship (2012)

Wesleyan Writers' Conference Scholarship (2011)

George William Kenwood Memorial Scholarship in Creative Writing, Vancouver BC (2005)

CBC Television Jim Burt Prize in Creative Writing, Vancouver BC (2005)

Chapbook contest winner, Aux Arc Review (2003)

Virginia Voss writing award, University of Michigan (2000)

Current Magazine poetry contest winner (2000)

Hopwood Undergraduate Award in poetry, University of Michigan (1998)