Robin Ann Smith

Ripe for the picking. CALS News, May 13, 2026. NC State researchers are working with blueberry growers on a more precise way to decide when to harvest, using computer vision and AI.

How “digital twins” could help predict the fate of a forest. Michigan State University, May 4, 2026. Researchers are developing ways to test forest management strategies in simulations before deploying them in the real world. Also featured on GeoConnexion and MSU Today. 

Giants that vanished 10,000 years ago triggered ripple effects that are still felt today. Michigan State University, April 27, 2026. Giant beasts like mammoths and saber-toothed tigers once roamed the Americas but then they vanished. New research shows how they reshaped food webs for the species that remained. Featured in The Independent, Yahoo News, AOL.com, Earth.com, Nautilus and Popular Science.

Uncovering the secret to Australia’s truffle industry. Michigan State University, April 17, 2026. Truffles have fewer microbial competitors in Australia’s soils compared with Europe’s, study finds. Featured in Smithsonian Magazine, Yahoo! News, Aol.com and The Guardian.

From decades-long studies of humble grasses, new clues to climate resistance. Michigan State University, April 7, 2026. Nearly 40 years of data on Midwestern prairies reveal that coping with weather extremes isn’t just a numbers game.

Global warming may be a boon for this aggressive prairie plant. Michigan State University, April 6, 2026. New study aims to predict the future of insect damage in a warming climate. Picked up by Earth.com.

The science of thriving in a chaotic world. Michigan State University, March 23, 2026. Climate resilience helps ecosystems survive, but it doesn’t always help them thrive. So researchers asked: could some living things not just weather storms, but emerge stronger on the other side? Picked up by Earth.com.

Not your average greenhouse. CALS News, March 11, 2026. The 24-foot-tall glass and steel behemoth that sits atop the Plant Sciences Building on NC State’s Centennial Campus might look like an ordinary greenhouse. But inside the computer-controlled facility, researchers work year-round to tackle some of the biggest challenges farmers face from diseases, pests and extreme weather.

A fanged frog long thought to be one species is revealing itself to be several. Michigan State University, March 3, 2026. They raise some tough questions for protecting biodiversity in the evolutionary “gray zone,” says MSU herpetologist Chan Kin Onn. Picked up by the Miami Herald, Woman’s World, Nautilus, Earth.com, AOL.com, the Charlotte Observer and Yahoo News.

Meet the superhero farm robots in training. CALS News, Jan. 22, 2026. Get a first look at the robotic field hands that could help grow your next salad.

By changing their habits, many animals still hanging on in the face of warming. Michigan State University, Jan. 20, 2026. Researchers explore what makes some species better equipped to survive the climate crisis.

Get ready for your aging checkup. Duke Magazine, Fall 2025. Some people age earlier and faster than others. If they could figure out why, researchers reasoned, perhaps they could use that information to slow the process down. But first they needed a way to measure it.

Bat besties start to sound alike over time. Michigan State University, Nov. 30, 2025. What scientists are learning from the secret language of bat friendships. Picked up by Nautilus, Smithsonian Magazine, A-Z Animals, The Wildlife Society and Yahoo News.

Michigan cherry farmers find a surprising food safety ally: falcons. Michigan State University, Nov. 27, 2025. By keeping hungry birds — and their droppings — off farmers’ fruit, kestrels could help in more ways than one. Picked up by Vox, Le Monde, Yahoo News, Earth.com, Nautilus, ZME Science, MLive, Inside Climate News, The Microbiologist and Popular Science. 

Folklore sheds light on ancient Indian savannas. Michigan State University, Nov. 25, 2025. Nearly 40% of the land on Earth is covered not by forests, or ice, but by vast expanses of open grasslands. Now, scientists are turning to an untapped source to uncover their history: centuries-old folklore. Picked up by Smithsonian Magazine, Yahoo News, Nautilus, The Debrief, Times of India and India Today.

Unlocking the untapped potential in heirloom corn. CALS News, Oct. 10, 2025. Researchers say a collection of rare maize varieties that were nearly lost to history could help protect the future of America’s biggest crop

Baby babble and the malleable brain. Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Sept. 3, 2025. Scientists are untangling the mystery of how babies learn to communicate – by studying the brains of monkeys who share the power of babble. Picked up by Earth.com.

Scientists can tell how fast you’re aging from a single brain scan. Duke Today, July 1, 2025. New aging clock can predict risk for dementia, other age-related diseases years before symptoms appear. Picked up by Nature, New York Post, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, National Geographic, New Atlas, Interesting Engineering, Tech Explorist, Aol.com and Yahoo News.

Brain scans reveal what happens in the mind when insight strikes. Duke Today, May 14, 2025. Research sheds light on how ‘aha!’ moments help you remember what you learn. Picked up by Quanta Magazine, Discover Magazine, Gizmodo, IFLScience, Earth.com and Popular Science.

How changes in lemur brains made some mean girls nice. Duke Research blog, April 21, 2025. Brain mapping suggests that oxytocin played a role; research could shed light on how hormones influence behavior in humans and other animals. Picked up by Earth.com.

‘Forever chemicals’ are everywhere. Most of their health effects are unknown. Duke Today, April 8, 2025. Duke researchers hope to learn which ones are more toxic, and for whom – using tiny worms.

College basketball can be hard to predict. That didn’t stop these student data whizzes from trying. Duke Research blog, April 8, 2025. First-ever Triangle Sports Analytics competition draws 15 teams from Duke, UNC and NC State.

How baby birds know when their song practice is paying off. Duke Today, March 25, 2025. Brain scientists are beginning to disentangle the molecular mechanisms underlying the intrinsic motivation to learn. Picked up by Discover Magazine and Earth.com.

Hibernating lemurs can turn back the clock on cellular aging. Eurekalert, March 11, 2025. Research on how these distantly related primates defy aging during torpor could point to new ways to promote healthier aging in humans. Picked up by Science Friday, Discover Magazine, Earth.com and Interesting Engineering.

In the heart of vanilla country, farmers on the climate frontlines struggle to adapt. Duke Today, March 10, 2025. Most vanilla comes from Madagascar. But in recent years, erratic weather is making farming there more difficult. Researchers are talking to farmers about the challenges to their livelihood and what they’re doing to cope.