Todd Geomicrobiology Research Lab
E.A.G.L.E.S (Ethical Advancement Group: Laboratory of Environmental Sciences)
Wendy F. Todd (Smythe), Ph.D.
K'ah Skáahluwaa
Assistant Professor
American Indian Studies cla.d.umn.edu/departments/ais
and
218-726-7068
Office Location
1123 University Drive
Cina Hall 110F
Duluth, MN 55812
Lab located in Chemistry Room 347
Associate Editor Journal of Geoscience Education
Chair of UMD Community Editoral Board
Courses Taught
Department of American Indian Studies
https://cla.d.umn.edu/majors-minors/masters-programs/mtres
TRES 5100 Foundations of Indigenous Environmental Systems & Worldviews
TRES 5201 Integrated Ecosystesms I
TRES 5202 Integrated Ecosystesm II
TRES 5400 Directed Project Seminar
TRES 5994 Tribal natrual Resource Stewarship Directed Project
Department Earth & Environmental Sciences
ESCI 3201 Mineral Resources
GEO 4095 Geobiology
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hfOvlHu_T3r8zk5OKzacJe2nin_39EZX/view?usp=sharing
Students
Arianna, Northbird
Research
Ya'áats River
Lotic to marine iron-carbonate system in Southeast Alaska
Purple Pool & Queen's Laundry
Yellowstone National Park research examing manganese and silica systems
Xáadas Geoscience
Geoscience research and education in Southeast Alaska
F.I.E.L.D. Institute
The Fieldwork Inspiring Expanded Leadership for Diversity project strives to make field activity in the geosciences more accessible and inclusive by equipping field leaders with perspectives and skills to recognize and reduce barriers in field settings. cpaess.ucar.edu/gold/field-project
Ya'áats River
Located in Southeast Alaska on the tribal lands of the Haida people, Ya'áats River is a lotic to marie iron and carbonate depositing ground water system characterized by numerous cold springs.
Geochemistry
Geomicrobiolgy & Microbial Ecology
Climate Impacts
Geoscience Education
Purple Pool & Queen's Laundry
Located in Yellowstone National Park, these two hot springs are characterized by the deposition of purple manganese oxides and silica minerals.
Geomicrobiology
Research examining the microibal diversity, metaboism and bioiflm formation in manganese and silica depositing hot springs.
Biomineralization
Research examining the fomation of microfossils in manganese and silica depositing hot springs
Purple Pool Hot Spring
Purple Pool is a small manganese deposing hot sprling locatd in the lower geysr basin.
Queen's Laundry Hot Spring
Queen's Laundry is a high temperature silica depositing hot spring located in lower geyser basin.
Publications
Smythe, W.F. and Peele, S.S. (2021). The (un)discovering of ecology by Alaska Native ecologists. https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/eap.2354
Smythe, W.F., Hammack, R., and Brown Clarke, J. (2020). Native Perscpectives about Clupling Indigneous Traditional Knoweldge with Western Science in Geoscience Education from a Focus Group Study. http://www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/grhe/article/view/2660
Pitra, C, Kolonich, A., Smythe, W.F., and Tyler, Q. (2020). Honoring the Whole Student Workbook: Developing Space for Native American Studetns in STEM by Supporting Complex Identities.
Indigenous geoscientists reflect on inclusivity in academia. https://speakingofgeoscience.org/2020/11/05/indigenous-geoscientists-reflect-on-inclusivity-in-academia/HAIDA SCIENTIST DEFIES STEREOTYPES, ENCOURAGES LOCAL KIDS TO DO THE SAME. https://www.sealaska.com/community/haida-scientist-defies-stereotypes-encourages-local-kids-to-do-the-same/
Smythe, W.F. (2017). Scanning Electron Microscopy Techniques For Preservation and Observation of Microbe-Mineral Assemblages and Biominerals. PostDoc Journal, Vol. 5, No. 11. Novembrer 2017. http://www.postdocjournal.com/file_journal/2944_48886030.pdf
Smythe, W.F. Hugo, R.C., and McAllister S. (2017). Incorporation of Traditional Knowledge Into Geoscience Education: An Effective Method Of Native American Instruction. Journal of Sustainability Education May 2014. http://www.susted.com/wordpress/content/incorporation-of-traditional-knowledge-into-geoscience-education-an-effective-method-of-native-american-instruction_2017_06/
Smythe, W.F. (2017). Morphological Characterization of Bacteriogenic Manganese Oxides From Three Model Manganese (II/III) Oxidizing Bacterial Species. PostDoc Journal, Vol. 5, No. 3, March 2017, http://www.postdocjournal.com/file_journal/2907_99316297.pdf
Smythe W.F., McAllister S.M., Hager K.W., Hager K.R., Tebo B.M. and Moyer C.L. (2016) Silica Biomineralization of Calothrix-Dominated Biofacies from Queen's Laundry Hot-Spring, Yellowstone National Park, USA. Front. Environ. Sci. 4:40. doi: 10.3389/fenvs.2016.00040. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2016.00040/full
Hugo, R. C., Cady, S. L., & Smythe, W. (2011). The role of extracellular polymeric substances in the silicification of calothrix: Evidence from microbial mat communities in hot springs at Yellowstone National Park, USA. Geomicrobiology Journal, 28(8), 667-675. https://doi.org/10.1080/01490451.2010.511983
Shipworm Project
Bioassessment study of a costal ecosystem using shipworms.
Environmetal Geoscience
Pre-college and undergraduate geoscience research.
First Foods and Traditional Plants
Community project examining the ecosystem in wich first foods and traditonal plants are gathered.
Healthy Ecosystems Project
Pre-college students examine the health of multiple rivers using bioassessment and environmental chemistry.
The No Time For Silence call to action is led by a group of advocates and scholars committed to achieving greater inclusion and equity across the science and technology enterprise. This requires collaboration across disciplines, institutions, organizations, and constituencies.
We stand with activists working against anti-Black and anti-People of Color police violence and racialized political, social, and economic exclusion. We stand with those active in the fight against medical and healthcare apartheid. We likewise stand in solidarity with advocates of anti-racism and exclusion in STEM and, in particular, those calling for an end to systemic racism in the geoscience community. We seek alliances with and support from the multitudes of passionate faculty, students, and other stakeholders who have publicly condemned the racism that plagues our society and our profession.