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Milena’s work has appeared in:
Our Coast Our Future
A climate adaptation and planning tool that provides sea level rise and storm scenarios for
The Climate Crisis (1st Ed.)
Adam Aron (2022). This textbook explains the mechanisms and impacts of the climate crisis, traces the history and reasons behind the lack of serious effort to combat it, examines skepticism and how to shift it, and motivates an urgent program of action.
Scientific publications including Neruon, Proceedings of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers,
Milena Viljoen Gavala is a seasoned science graphics professional and science communicator. She currently runs Curious G Design Studio, where she partners with other scientists and researchers to create engaging custom graphics with a focus on pressing environmental issues such as climate change and conservation.
Before dedicating her career to the visual side of science communication, Milena worked in science communication, outreach, and grant programming at NOAA’s Restoration Center and coordinated outreach efforts for a multi-agency, multi-million dollar restoration addressing DDT and PCB contamination in Southern California.
Milena holds a Masters of Environmental Science from the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at UC Santa Barbara, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Duke University. She is currently based in the San Diego area.
Milena aims for a world where science is beautiful, approachable, and actionable. Her goal is to advance scientific research by getting it out of the field, off of the lab table, and into the hands of the the people making decisions. Coupling her knowledge of cognition and vision science and her illustration and graphic design skills she helps researchers and science organizations share their important but often complex stories through engaging, and memorable visuals.
She loves learning about all the latest #scicomm efforts, collaborating with other scientists and creatives, and helping new and existing science artists find each other. Drop her a line to say hello!






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