He is active with science-communication efforts on campus, including coordinating with College of Science Associate Dean Chris Impey. Cokinos spearheaded the first campus-wide science-communication summit three years ago. He teaches creative writing and history of science fiction courses. Winner of an N.S.F. Antarctic Visiting Artists and Writers Grant, Cokinos is the author of three books of literary nonfiction, poetry volumes and co-editor of an award-winning hybrid field guide/anthology. He has published articles, essays, poems, reviews and critical work in the Los Angeles Times, Pacific Standard, Orion, Extrapolation and Poetry.