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:

Measuring Water from Space

A new NASA satellite is recording the first global survey of Earth’s water cycle with unprecedented accuracy — and Tamlin Pavelsky is verifying its data from North Carolina to New Zealand.

A Slow Burn

Ric Colacito’s research suggests that, in the worst-case scenario, rising temperatures could reduce U.S. economic growth by up to one-third over the next century.

Healing with Art

Denise “Dee” Yookong Williams uses art to help LGBTQ youth and youth of color process their experiences around suicide.

Extracting Extraordinary Things

Claire Bunschoten spent a year at The New York Botanical Garden unpacking the history and culture tied to one of America’s favorite flavors: vanilla.

More Than Books

Tushar Varma traveled across 35 states, visiting 85 independent bookstores to learn why they’re so vital to the communities they reside in.

For Her Brother

Upon watching her brother grow up and struggle with cystic fibrosis, Rhianna Lee has dedicated her life to studying the disease.

Math-Age Daydream

The mathematical puzzles that arise when modeling neurodegenerative diseases fascinate Tanya Garcia, who hopes to solve them to speed treatment development.

A Crystal Ball for Chemistry

Jack Sundberg has created a software to help chemists uncover the best materials for their experiments — a potential game-changer for minimizing time and costs.

Hunting for Hemlocks

Ken Donny-Clark spent his last semester at UNC-Chapel Hill in the woods searching for a dwindling population of trees that local wildlife depends on: Carolina hemlocks.

All Creatures Great and Small

Rada Petric's love for nature has led her to study how human presence affects the behavior of small mammals like bats and mice.