Robin Smith was a researcher and writing teacher for more than ten years before joining the news office at Duke University, where she covers the life and physical sciences across campus. Prior to that she worked at theDuke Lemur Center and the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center in Durham. Robin earned a PhD in evolutionary biology in 2005, and has published academic articles inEvolution, American Naturalist, and theAmerican Journal of Botany. She has also written for the Raleigh News and Observer, the Charlotte Observer, and the blog column of Scientific American. Robin is a member of the National Association of Science Writers, and serves on the board of the local science writing group, Science Communicators of North Carolina. When she’s not at her desk, Robin spends her time exploring art and the outdoors with her husband and son, and waxing nostalgic about sleep.