Samir Patel Joins Quanta Magazine as Editor-in-Chief

The Simons Foundation is pleased to announce that Samir Patel has joined Quanta Magazine as editor-in-chief. In the role, Patel will oversee the editorially independent publication’s Pulitzer Prize–winning coverage of math and science.

“There’s nothing like Quanta in the world of science communication,” Patel says. “It is joyous in the face of complexity and brings a human perspective to some of the universe’s biggest ideas. I’m thrilled to work with the remarkable editorial staff to evolve that legacy, find new ways to tell stories and bring them to new audiences.”

Patel previously served as editor-in-chief of Atlas Obscura, an online science, history and travel magazine that covers the world’s hidden wonders. Before that, he worked as the deputy editor of Archaeology.

In addition to his career in journalism, Patel is an adjunct assistant professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. He holds master’s degrees in journalism and earth and environmental science from Columbia University, a master’s degree in creative writing from New York University, and a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Duke University.

Patel succeeds Thomas Lin, who had led Quanta since its launch as Simons Science News in 2012. Lin remains at the Simons Foundation as the head of Quanta Books, a new science book imprint.

“My initial vision for Quanta has been realized, and our exceptional team is well equipped to carry on our journalistic mission,” Lin wrote in a retrospective letter on the Quanta website. “I also believe in change, in fresh ideas and in making room for a new generation of leaders to rise to the challenge.”