Meet Six Science Experts
Photography by Rich Smith
From analyzing chemical compositions to conserving natural environments and forecasting weather, a career in science can take many forms. Yet all involve the continual pursuit of knowledge, driven by curiosity and a passion for the research at hand. Here, we spotlight six scientists from different fields whose expertise is helping improve places, products, and more in our city.
ZOOLOGY
Zookeeper, Chattanooga Zoo
It began when I learned about the ecosystems within the Appalachian Mountains. I was unaware of how richly diverse and layered they are. From that point, I’ve been interested in better understanding the risks that Appalachian amphibians face and how they can overcome them.
I am a full-time herpetology keeper at Chattanooga Zoo, meaning I’m responsible for the feeding, medication, and overall care of the Zoo’s reptiles and amphibians. I also care for the salamanders that are part of our Hellbender Headstart program. Hellbenders are a threatened species of salamander that live in cold, fast-moving streams in the Appalachian mountain region. At the Zoo, we collaborate with Dr. Michael Freake from Lee University and the United States Forest Service to assist struggling hellbender populations. We do this by removing healthy hellbender eggs from the wild, raising them in our care, and releasing them when they turn 2 or 3. This helps hellbenders because they experience a very high mortality rate from ages 0-2. If we raise them up at Chattanooga Zoo, while also preparing them for what they will experience in the wild, we can help populations of hellbenders increase to stable numbers.
Adult male hellbenders actually perform a decent amount of parental care for babies. Once a female hellbender deposits her eggs under a large, flat rock, the male will fertilize the eggs and then aggressively defend them until they hatch. The father even uses his tail to circulate the water under the rock, so the eggs are receiving plenty of oxygen.
Getting out into the wilderness and performing field work! This is particularly gratifying when we are releasing the hellbender babies back into the wild.
A relatively new method that we use to assist in conservation is environmental DNA (eDNA). This is a useful way to find evidence that an animal is in an environment without physically observing any individuals. It is particularly useful when studying a cryptic species like the hellbender, who goes out of their way to avoid being seen.
The conservation aspect of working at a zoo is my favorite part. Not just the process of raising baby hellbenders but also outreach to guests and the general public. It is very rewarding when a guest tells you that they’ve learned something new about the ecosystems in their own backyard.
BIOLOGY
Vice President of Conservation Science and Education, Tennessee Aquarium
I have always been obsessed with animals. It wasn’t until college, however, that I started learning about how many different fishes live in freshwater, and in particular, the rivers and streams of the southeastern United States. Once I knew how many animals there were in waters right in my backyard, I became passionate about studying and protecting these beautiful freshwater habitats. Tell us about your current position. I oversee our conservation science programs, which include raising endangered species like lake sturgeon for release back into the wild, or working with landowners on habitat restoration projects to protect water quality. On the education side, we reach students through field trips, outreach programs, and summer camp, as well as connecting with Aquarium visitors in our beautiful exhibits to make sure they get to learn a little more about each animal.
Fish build nests! The spring is breeding season, so many male fish start finding ways to attract the ladies. This often includes developing bright breeding colors, so male minnows and darters develop gorgeous stripes, bars, and spots in every color of the rainbow. In addition, some male fish build nests to show off what good parents they’d be. It’s really quite exciting to watch this underwater with a snorkel mask and realize that a nature documentary is happening right outside your front door!
Through the Aquarium’s exhibits, we get to tell stories from the southeastern United States to our 750,000 visitors a year. While many of our guests come here for the sharks or penguins (which are great reasons!), they end up learning just how special their own backyard is. We call this region an underwater rainforest because of all the different animals we have swimming through our rivers and streams. I love that we get the chance to inspire this sense of pride in our own natural heritage.
Maintaining your sense of hope and not giving up on the chance to turn things around, even when we see some pretty distressing scenes of environmental loss.
Our favorite days are those when we get to release an animal back into the wild. Whether it’s watching a six-inch lake sturgeon swim away, knowing that it can grow into an eight-foot long, 100-year old river giant, or hiking up a crystal-clear mountain stream to release Southern Appalachian brook trout into plunge pools, those are the moments when we know we’ve made a difference.
GEOLOGY
Professor of Geology, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC)
My PaPa was a rock collector, and I was fascinated by all the cool looking rocks and fossils and where he collected them from. I was fortunate to have parents who stressed the importance of education and supported me in whatever direction I wanted to go. I went to a couple of science summer camps in high school, two of which included weeks of activities in geology and environmental science. I was hooked and have been studying the Earth since.
I am a professor of geology at UTC, where I teach undergraduate classes in geology at all levels. For my research, I investigate landscape dynamics over the past approximately 5 million years. I investigate the development of soils and soil features to understand how landscapes have changed over time and how they may be influenced by shifts in climate. During winter breaks, I’m able to get out to some of my field sites and take students with me. My current position allows me to pursue both my passion for satisfying my own curiosity through scientific investigation and sparking curiosity about our world in my students.
Earth’s history is preserved in its rocks and minerals. This may not sound like a big deal, but to understand the future and make good decisions, we must understand the past. The record of our past can be realized through everything from the intricacies of crystal arrangements in a rock on Earth to analyzing the rocks and minerals that occur on Mars and everything in between. That’s what geologists do. We analyze data we collect from the Earth to understand how we as humans interact with it, change it, use it, and preserve it for the future.
I love the discovery of new knowledge and the process of satisfying the curiosity I have about how the Earth works or why a specific feature is where it is, or how we can make things better for humans who are impacted by the natural aspects of our world. Because I’m an educator, one of my favorite things is to introduce students to geology and help them to understand the world around them.
Look up and around and ask questions about what you see. Develop your observation skills and remain curious about the world around you. Never lose that curiosity because that is what sparks ideas and identifies problems that others might not see.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Executive Director, Tennessee River Gorge Trust
My interest in environmental science was initially sparked by outdoor recreation and a family that encouraged outdoor exploration. I quickly developed a deep interest in the wild landscapes I was exploring. However, it wasn’t until I attended college that I was exposed to conservation and environmental science as a field of work. Through field positions and graduate school, I then began to specialize in ornithology and conservation-based land management.
My position includes a wide range of duties from management and fundraising to working in the field with our amazing team. Our organization works on the ground to conserve wild lands, conduct meaningful research, implement science-driven forest restoration, and provide sustainable community access to the Tennessee River Gorge.
A day on the job varies by week and by season. One day we may be working at a remote site deep in the gorge capturing and tagging migratory birds and another in the office writing grants or creating forest management plans. What’s a fun or interesting environmental science fact? Many of the birds we encounter in the Chattanooga area are migrants that only spend portions of the year here. The rest of the year, they can be found as far away as South America or northern Canada. Over the course of just one October night, over 8 million birds may fly over Hamilton County as part of their annual migration. These flocks of migrating birds can be so dense that they are picked up by the Doppler radar.
One challenge is not getting discouraged. We are working in a world fraught with rampant environmental degradation. It is critical to realize that we are all playing a small role in a large, collective effort. Rather than any individual initiative, meaningful change is driven by the sum of all of the important conservation and research efforts combined.
The miniaturization of tracking technology for migratory wildlife has been astounding. Thanks to technological innovations, we can track the smallest of bird species. With new radio tracking technology, entomologists can even track the movements of insects.
The more you learn about a species or ecological community, the more you realize you have only scratched the surface. Every new piece of knowledge opens a new door, each one just as fascinating as the other.
Photo by Kevin Spicer
CHEMISTRY
Analytical Chemist, McKee Foods
I’ve always enjoyed science, but I grew to enjoy chemistry during my senior year of high school when I had the opportunity to dual enroll in general chemistry. While working on my Bachelor of Science in Chemistry at Southern Adventist University, I had the opportunity to intern in the chemistry lab here at McKee. I had never envisioned myself working in food chemistry, but I’ve enjoyed it.
As an analytical chemist at McKee, my role is quite diverse. The foundations of my position are operating chemical instrumentation of various kinds. The analytical lab provides the hard data to support ongoing product development, specifications, nutrition testing, and troubleshooting testing needed by the company.
Every day is unique! The testing requested by various parts of the organization is unpredictable, so there are always new challenges and new samples to work with. This week I have performed compositional analysis, rheological testing, process instrumentation method development, sensory testing (tasting), and data analytics for each of those. I work with teams from across all McKee locations to solve problems and utilize my chemistry background to grow our understanding of our food systems and products.
The amount of rain a wheat field receives in the summer can impact the customer’s eating experience when that wheat is milled into flour and baked in a product!
I love that as analytical chemists, we get to unravel the secrets of each sample’s composition. The specific components present in each sample offer insights into how that sample performs and tastes in the real world! By developing new ways to test for those components, we get to understand how food systems work.
The endless pursuit of knowledge. Being able to solve problems through chemical testing and further our understanding of our products is incredibly fulfilling.
My biggest advice would be to focus on understanding the fundamentals. In the workplace, the application of those fundamental principles will vary, but ultimately all of our chemical testing is based off the fundamental principles of chemistry. Practically, I would recommend seeking out real life learning experiences like internships, research projects, etc. It is so valuable to practice putting the fundamental principles to work in a variety of work settings.
METEOROLOGY
Senior Meteorologist, NewsChannel 9
When I was young, I admired that the first people who knew schools would be closed were the meteorologists! I wanted to be in the know. Ironically, I didn’t realize then that when it snowed and children have the day off, the meteorologists still had to work. Tell us about your current position. Currently I serve as the senior meteorologist at NewsChannel 9. For over 20 years you could find me daily on Good Morning Chattanooga, however, now you can find me on Good Morning Chattanooga Weekends, the evening broadcasts on the weekends, and filling in during the week when needed.
My day begins very early, around 4:00 a.m. I review the weather models, record forecasts for the radio, and begin putting together the graphics for the broadcasts for the day. I always read through my push alerts to see what is happening in the world of news so I can stay up-to-date and informed. I forecast the news for the viewers and when the shows are completed, I begin recording the teases for the day to let the community know what is coming up later. Social media plays a big part in my day. I enjoy keeping my audience and friends updated and I enjoy staying connected to the community. I feel the community is part of my family, and hopefully they feel the same.
How tornadoes can be detected by radar now is much better than it was 30 years ago. We’re able to give warnings farther in advance, instead of waiting for someone to actually see and report one. The ability to warn people ahead of time in severe weather situations has been, I think, the most important thing that has happened as far as saving lives is concerned.
Obtaining the AMS Seal of Approval. You would send in three weathercasts and the AMS board would grade those. If you made a certain grade, you were awarded the seal, which you could then place next to your name on television. Back then, that was the big thing to get. I vividly remember getting it in the mail, that I had succeeded. That was a great day.
The challenge of getting a forecast right. But mostly to be sure the public is safe from severe weather.
