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Geography PhD Student Laura Smith in Media for Research on Tree Rings

Laura Smith works inside her lab in the Burchfiel Geography Building on January 18, 2018. Photo by Steven Bridges

Laura Smith, a PhD student in Geography, has been taking up research on tree rings begun in the 1930s and her research has made it into various media outlets. Florence Hawley started research on tree rings to understand long-term weather patterns in the Norris Basin, while working with the Tennessee Valley Authority. 80 years later, Smith is continuing the work by the trailblazing researcher, using new technologies available to the field. Besides moving the research forward, Smith wants the world to know more about Florence Hawley, her work, and her challenges. Read more about Laura Smith’s work in the Chattanooga Free Press, and hear her as she talks about her research and Florence Hawley in Science Minute.