Mary Lide Parker

Mary Lide’s love for science journalism started the first time she held a juvenile Kemp Ridley sea turtle, but it really kicked into high gear when she spent 10 days filming a research expedition on the Llaima volcano in southern Chile.

From a remote mountain town in South America, to a farm in the San Joaquin Valley of California, to a laboratory on UNC’s campus, Mary Lide always carries two things: her camera and her curiosity for how the world works. As an alum of the UNC School of Journalism, she has lots of tools to tell science stories effectively including photography, multimedia, writing, and a little social media savviness.

Posts by Mary Lide Parker:

A Day in the Field

March 14, 2017

How does a beach recover after a hurricane? What are the outcomes of natural processes versus man-made interventions? These are some of the questions posed by Elsemarie deVries, a PhD student in the UNC Coastal Environmental Change Lab. Using a variety of approaches, deVries investigates the interactions between different dune-building processes. Now she is taking her expertise to a South Carolina beach recovering from the effects of Hurricane Matthew.

Outsmarting an Outbreak

March 8, 2017

When Ebola strikes, what is the proper response? What measures should be taken to protect communities in a time of crisis? Should a neighborhood be quarantined? How? To help answer these questions, public health officials in Liberia turn to legal experts at the UNC School of Government.

Celebrating Darwin Day

February 13, 2017

For over a decade, UNC scientists have committed to sustaining and protecting the unique species and ecosystems in the Galápagos Islands. In honor of Darwin Day — a celebration of the renowned naturalist's research — here’s a look at some of the iconic wildlife and cutting-edge research found in this archipelago. (photos by Mary Lide Parker)

Sequencing the Sea

December 2, 2016

Marine scientists at UNC are taking a new approach to figuring out why and how microalgae blooms occur in the Neuse River Estuary.

The China Health & Nutrition Survey

November 17, 2016

This pioneering survey from the UNC Carolina Population Center has identified the "nutrition transition" in China now seen throughout industrialized countries.

This Is Your World on Drugs

November 16, 2016

Hendrée Jones, director of UNC Horizons, works tirelessly every day to help mothers and children struggling with substance use disorders. In the past five years, her work has expanded beyond Chapel Hill to places like Afghanistan, Brazil, and India.

Colors of Colonial Congo

November 15, 2016

Belgium’s control of the Congo in the early 20th century had a profound impact on native artists. Carlee Forbes, a UNC art history researcher, is looking for clues to better understand how and why.

Detective Work Deep in the Earth

October 11, 2016

UNC College of Arts & Sciences seismologist Berk Biryol takes a crack at understanding how the earth is moving under the Southeastern United States

Science for Safer Food

September 29, 2016

For the past 10 years, UNC researcher Rachel Noble has been developing technology to keep our food safe from bacteria like E. coli.