Makayla Smith is a master’s student in the Department of Art and Art History within the UNC College of Arts and Sciences. She uses photography, collage, archival materials, scientific research, and recycled objects to explore how ecological and social environments intersect and shape complex challenges related to social justice, endangered ecosystems, and future sustainability.

How did you discover your specific field of study?

As a kid, my mum was always encouraging me to be outside and taught me how to communicate with horses. Since then, I have always held a deep empathy with more than human life. Being able to develop my sense of awe and wonder of the outdoors was pivotal in how I investigate and interact with my studies today.

I was lucky enough to be a part of the first round of students at the Creative Arts Academy in my hometown in Davenport, Iowa, where I gained a lot of my artistic skills to help me succeed during my undergraduate degree at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Here, I was able to find amazing professors who guided and pushed me to continue my education at UNC-Chapel Hill, where I started researching the connections between American chestnut trees, the Appalachian mountain range, and extinct swamp forests from 300 million years ago.

Academics are problem-solvers. Describe a research challenge you’ve faced and how you overcame it.

As I walked through North Carolina’s forests, I fell in love with the trees and was curious to learn more about them. The story of the American chestnut’s near extinction captivated me, and I wanted to understand its deep connections to the state, the Appalachians, myself, and the wider world. But finding one in person proved difficult.

The blight that swept across the Appalachian Mountains in the late 1800s decimated nearly all mature chestnut trees — and still prevents most saplings from reaching adulthood. As my disappointment grew, it reminded me of the loss of species and ecosystems I’ll never witness because of climate change.

This research has helped me see that humans and nature have never been separate. These narratives reveal how boundaries between continents, species, and time are intricately stitched together. As we navigate the climate crisis, forests remind us that survival depends on relationships rooted in recognition, reciprocity, and the complex temporalities of Earth’s systems.

Describe your research in five words.

Forests remember what humans forget.

Who or what inspires you? Why?

The thought that we all have the power to imagine, inspire, and create just, sustainable, creative systems that uplift each other. This inspires me because it transcends apathy and generates collective reimagination of our systems today, giving power to the people.

If you could pursue any other career, what would it be and why?

An ecologist. I would learn more about the vast relationships of our environments while helping guide public policy for sustainability efforts and mitigating climate change impacts.