Claudia Christine Avila brings her Mexican-American roots to her research – and believes cultural appreciation for land makes a difference.
Heather Hansen
Heather Hansen is a Colorado-based science writer with 20 years experience reporting on the natural world.
Posts by Heather Hansen
When Salt Encroaches Upon Farmers’ Fields
In North Carolina, Julia Janson is researching the impact of rising sea levels on soil and helping multigenerational farming families adjust to changing times.
Sleuthing for Microplastics in Michigan
Few people realize that invisible plastic bits make it into the air we breathe. Madeline Clough wants to change that.
Monitoring the Risks of Salt Lake Valley’s Dust
Dangerous dust events are becoming more common in Utah, where Kerry Kelly is developing new sensor technology to monitor what’s in our air.
When It Comes to Climate, Western Science Can Learn from Indigenous Communities
Native people who possess traditional ecological knowledge have long understood environmental management.
This Water Detective Has Developed a Method to Predict Streamflow
Zhiying Li left cultural restraints in her native China to become a scientist in the U.S. and study water availability.
Using Solar Energy to Purify Water
Inspired by water scarcity in her hometown, Pratiksha Dongare at Rice University is taking a cutting-edge approach to desalination.
The Woman Who Wants to Change the Way We See Forests
‘Mother Tree’ author Suzanne Simard proved that trees are interconnected, challenging the conventions of Western science.