Capturing the Lives of Sea Creatures
Liah McPherson records the lives of dolphins and whales — from Hawaiʻi to Antarctica.
Alyssa LaFaro
On any given day, Alyssa can be found photographing the effects of climate change, digging up long-lost information in the University Archives, or writing furiously in her Bynum Hall office. As the editor of Endeavors, she’s mastered the art of “wearing many hats.” When she’s not behind a camera or a computer, she’s meeting regularly with communicators, students, and faculty from across campus to learn about the latest research projects and unlock new opportunities for collaboration.
Posts by Alyssa LaFaro:
Thirst for the Search
How Brian Coffey’s love for hunting objects unearthed a dinosaur in Durham and led him to a career in the energy sector.
Microscope Magic
Since middle school, Michelle Itano has been mesmerized by the power of microscopes. These seemingly familiar pieces of technology can do so much more than simply capture images of small things. They can unveil a world beyond our imagination — one Itano strives to show as many people as possible.
Powered by Libraries
UNC-Chapel Hill’s $1.16 billion research enterprise wouldn’t be possible without its 10 libraries and numerous librarians, archivists, and staff members. These resources are vital for the entire research lifecycle, from idea generation to data retrieval to digitization and access.
Brain-Body Breakthroughs
Psychoneuroimmunology. It's a mouthful, but it’s also a burgeoning field addressing how psychological stress impacts the brain and the body. Keely Muscatell is one of just a few scholars conducting research within this realm and is working closely with two PhD students to uncover the short- and long-term effects of one particularly ugly social experience: racial discrimination.
Magnificent Magnification
Researchers across UNC-Chapel Hill are using advanced imaging technologies and techniques to improve our understanding of cellular processes — with visually stunning results. Collected from a variety of labs, these images showcase the incredible projects our researchers are working on and the beauty of the human body in all its forms.
We Just Clicked
Friends are essential to our happiness and health. Because they’re such a large part of our lives, Tatum Jolink wants to know how these lasting bonds begin. What occurs during our initial interactions with others that lays the foundation for long-lasting friendship — or even love?
Galápagos: A Gateway for Global Research
For more than 10 years, the UNC Center for Galápagos Studies has been a hub of collaborative research activity spanning many disciplines, with the potential to impact the globe. Diego Riveros-Iregui and Amanda Thompson, the center’s new interim co-directors, strive to use their own experiences from the islands to expand its reach and grow its reputation as a world-renowned research institution.
The Smorgasbord Scientist
Why do some organisms live in groups? What influences their cooperation with one another? How do they choose their mates? PhD student Brian Lerch has a lot of questions about ecology and evolutionary biology — and he strives to answer them using math.
Connecting Humans and Computers
For most of her life, Ayana Monroe has been fascinated by how people and computers connect — a field called human-computer interaction. Now, as a UNC-Chapel Hill junior and Chancellor’s Science Scholar, she engages in research to improve how we use technology to acquire information. She wants to teach the next generation to do the same.