Gina Kolata


Gina Bari Kolata is an American science journalist, writing for The New York Times.

Life and career

Kolata was born Gina Bari in Baltimore, Maryland. Her mother, mathematician Ruth Aaronson Bari, was of Jewish descent. Her father, Arthur Bari, was a diamond setter of Italian heritage. One of her sisters is Hood College art historian, Dr. Martha Bari. Another was Earth First! environmental activist, feminist and assassination attempt survivor, Judi Bari.
Kolata studied molecular biology as a graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She received a master's degree from University of Maryland, College Park in mathematics. She joined Science magazine, published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, as a copy editor in 1973, and wrote for it as a journalist in the news section from 1974 until she moved to The New York Times in September 1987. She remains a Health & Science reporter at the newspaper. Kolata has taught writing as a visiting professor at Princeton University and frequently lectures across the country.
She is a "self-proclaimed exercise addict", according to a Times advertisement for itself.
Her husband, William G. Kolata, has taught mathematics and served as the technical director of the non-profit Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics in Philadelphia, a professional society for mathematicians. The couple have two children, Therese and Stefan.

Books