Beth Peck joins SciLine to lead fundraising
Beth Peck, a veteran nonprofit executive, has joined SciLine as associate director leading fundraising and development as the organization is expanding to meet unprecedented demand by journalists for evidence-based information and connection to scientific expertise.
Founded in 2017, SciLine is a philanthropically supported nonprofit that connects journalists to expert sources through a unique on-deadline matching service, hosts media briefings with scientists on timely news topics, and, through training programs and timely tip sheets and toolkits, helps journalists understand how to access, understand, and incorporate evidence-based information into their reporting, and helps scientists talk about publicly about their research and expertise.
Beth Peck
Peck has more than 15 years of experience in nonprofit and higher education roles and has a strong record of cultivating donor relationships, securing major gifts, and guiding sustainable growth through mission-focused fundraising.
Most recently, she was publisher of East Lansing Info, a nonprofit local online news site in Michigan, and executive director of Project Koru, a charity that helps young adults find life beyond cancer through outdoor experiences. Previously, she was a regional director of development for Michigan State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism with a specialization in public relations.
Peck works remotely from Michigan, where she lives with her husband and three children.
“Factual and science-based journalism is needed now more than ever,” she said, “and I’m excited to take the next step in my career at an organization I truly believe in.”
SciLine Director Matt DeRienzo said that Peck joins the organization at a critical time, as it raises money to meet a moment for the country when scientific consensus is under attack on issues with life-or-death consequences for communities across the country.
“It feels like SciLine was built for this very moment, and Beth’s experience and passion for scientific discovery and the power of local journalism to inform communities is perfectly suited to helping us build resources to scale the reach of our work,” DeRienzo said.
SciLine experienced a nearly 50% increase in demand for its programs in the first half of 2025 and has adjusted its operation for more rapid-response assistance to journalists dealing with a chaotic news cycle. SciLine published a comprehensive Evidence-Based Reporting Toolkit in January for local journalists covering the many policy and topical shifts associated with this year’s change in presidential administration, hosted a free online safety training program for scientists who talk publicly about work on politicized topics, and is developing major initiatives to better support Spanish-language media outlets in the U.S., independent content creators, and social media influencers.
SciLine is based at the American Association for the Advancement of Science(AAAS), which was founded in 1848. AAAS is the world’s largest multidisciplinary scientific society and publisher of the Journal of Science. SciLine is supported by a mix of individual donors and foundation funders, including the Quadrivium Foundation, Eucalyptus Foundation, Mac3 Foundation, Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative, Walton Family Foundation, Knight Foundation, Simons Foundation, Lyda Hill Foundation, and New Ventures Fund.