This is a long overdue letter of gratitude and tribute to Ron Kotulak, the Tribune’s science reporter. I met Ron only once and it was decades ago. It was at Argonne National Laboratory near Lemont where I have worked for some 40 years. Kotulak was covering a story on a project in which I was involved. At this point I do not remember what the project was, but I do know that I, along with others, at the lab met reporters with a high degree of skepticism. This was based on some past experiences and on science writing in newspapers in general.
During the interviews, Kotulak impressed us with his ability to easily grasp the fairly obscure, complex and probably mundane concepts and ask insightful questions in a brief period. To our delight and amazement, the article that appeared in the Tribune clearly stated the principles and gave the readers a real sense of the significance. That part I do remember.
Ever since that meeting, I have watched for his byline in the Tribune. In his coverage of diverse topics, from the nastiness of diseases to inspiring discourses on topics such as music, I have been gratified and enlightened.
