A.Y. Chen Illustration & Design

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Educate. Excite. Empower.

My name is Alice, and I am a scientific illustrator working at the Office of Legislative and Public Affairs (OLPA) at the National Science Foundation (NSF). I am part of a team going in to help strengthen the NSF

Formerly, I was at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), cranking out 2D and 3D artwork for the flagship print journal Science, and the online journals Translational Medicine, Signaling, Immunology, and Robotics. By night, well, I'm still a medical illustrator, but I'm also a children's book writer and illustrator. Click over to the Children's Book Art tab to find out more! I wrote several blog entires that give a better understanding to the arc of my tenure there:

Reexamining "re" in the creative process:
https://blogs.sciencemag.org/vis/2021/02/05/reexamining-re-in-the-creative-process/
And...action! Animating illustrations for Instagram:
https://blogs.sciencemag.org/vis/2020/07/17/and-action-animating-illustrations-for-instagram/
To 3D or not to 3D:
https://blogs.sciencemag.org/vis/2019/11/25/to-3d-or-not-to-3d/

Alice Kitterman, Medical/scientific illustrator

E-mail: aychen_702@yahoo.com

Alexandria, VA

Alice C. Kitterman, M.Sc. BMC 1997,
University of Toronto
B.S. Chemistry/(Studio Arts) 1993,
College of William and Mary

Memberships: Association of Medical Illustrators (AMI)
Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators

I grew up in a family of scientists, and always thought I would become a doctor. But the thought of dissecting humans and death in general made me think that that career choice was not for me. However, from the time I was really young I was always drawing and making things out of construction paper, empty jars, egg cartons, or whatever I could swipe from my dad's desk.

It wasn't until I had graduated from college that I learned about the medical illustration profession. I didn't know what I was getting into when I started, but now, I can't believe my luck in being able to do a job that's ever inspiring and challenging. Though in grad. school I did end up dissecting not one, but two cadavers, those 12 weeks were worth the satisfaction I get every day in my job.