UNC Galapagos

💡Research Leadership Team spotlight💡

Dr. Julie Horvath is a Senior Research Scientist at the Renaissance Computing Institute (RENCI). RENCI has provided technical support for the Galapagos Science Center over the years, and more recently, Dr. Horvath has been conducting research involving computational methods to learn about animal and human health in the Galapagos. She's currently working on the citizen science project, Reptile Health Explorer, where members of the public (even YOU 🫵) can help identify reptile blood cells. Another citizen science project she's worked on is the Monkey Health Explorer.

As a member of the CGS Research Leadership Team (RLT), Dr. Horvath helps shape the Center's strategic direction while advancing sustainability, research, and campus engagement through planning, partnerships, and impactful events.

Visit the link to learn more about the Monkey Health Explorer: https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/mbarrierz/monkey-health-explorer

She had places to be 🌊🦈✨

Read about the whale shark that traveled 1,200km in three weeks and how researchers are working to help the species from the Galapagos Science Center 👇

🦈🌎 A scientific expedition in the western Galápagos Marine Reserve, led by researchers from the Galápagos National Park Directorate, the Galapagos Whale Shark Project, and Universidad San Francisco de Quito, successfully tracked the journey of an adult female whale shark that traveled more than 1,200 km to El Salvador.

Learn more about this discovery and its importance for the conservation of this endangered species in our press release: https://www.galapagosscience.org/whale-shark-reveals-the-route-an-adult-female-migrates-from-western-galapagos-to-el-salvador

We had a great time sharing work from the Galapagos Science Center with the local NC community at the Illuminating AI Science Cafe event last month!

Read our recap featuring Dr. Julie Horvath 🦎🧫 and Dr. Corbin Jones 🐠🐟 on the research projects they demonstrated here: https://galapagos.unc.edu/illuminating-ai-science-cafe/

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Illuminating AI Science Café shows how AI applies to natural sciences - UNC Center for Galapagos Studies The Center for Galapagos Studies (CGS) hosted tables at the Illuminating AI Science Café on Apr. 16, 2026. The Science Café was a part of the Illuminating AI series, an outreach initiative by the Renaissance Computing Institute (RENCI) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel...

Did you miss the Center for Galapagos Studies' booth at the UNC Science Expo? Did you stop by, but forget everything about it? Did you have so much fun learning about the Galapagos with us that you want to relive the day? No matter what, we have just what you need...

View our recap of the UNC Science Expo on our website: https://galapagos.unc.edu/center-for-galapagos-studies-at-the-unc-science-expo/

This past spring, we invited faculty from any department or school to spend an afternoon at our research retreat.

The result? A room full of new and familiar faces 🤗, productive conversations 💭, and multidisciplinary research project ideas 🔬

Thank you to the researchers who presented and led discussions, for sharing research opportunities and resources, and last but certainly not least, all of the faculty who attended!

Read more about the retreat here: https://galapagos.unc.edu/cgs-research-retreat-2026/

Happy Earth Day! 🌎 Today we celebrate all of the work our researchers are undertaking in collaboration with and . Their research over the last 15 years has helped efforts to preserve at-risk species like Galapagos sea lions and tortoises, understand the effects of climate change on marine systems, reduce infectious diseases worldwide, and more! 🦭🌱🌊

📚 The Universidad San Francisco de Quito continues to make a lasting impact in the Galápagos with initiatives that go far beyond the classroom, from cultural immersion experiences with local families to health and well-being projects that directly benefit the community. 🌎✨

Discover how education, science, and community development are building a sustainable model for the Galápagos.

👉 Read the full press release and learn about the real impact transforming the community: https://www.galapagosscience.org/usfq-drives-development-in-galapagos-through-education-health-and-community-impact/

🗓️ Happening TODAY at North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences from UNC's Renaissance Computing Institute (RENCI):

Curious how scientists are using AI to study reptile health in the Galápagos? 🦎💻

Stop by this Illuminating AI Science Café table to explore the Galápagos Reptile Health Explorer, a new participatory science project that invites the public to contribute to real research. By analyzing blood smear images, researchers and volunteers can help assess the health of reptiles across the islands, supporting broader conservation efforts. Visitors can test their knowledge through an interactive game and get a hands-on look at how AI and human insight work together to better understand and protect these unique ecosystems.

This table is hosted by the Renaissance Computing Institute in partnership with with the UNC Center for Galapagos Studies and the Genomics & Microbiology Lab at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.

The Illuminating AI Science Café will be held at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences at 6 PM ET today, April 16.

For more details: https://galapagos.unc.edu/event/illuminating-ai-science-cafe-at-the-nc-museum-of-natural-sciences/

We had the best time meeting people and rams (shoutout to RJ for stopping by) of all ages at the UNC Science Expo at Morehead Planetarium & Science Center!

Some highlights:
🦈 You impressed us with your marine animal knowledge at our trivia wheel
🎨 You showed off your artistic creativity at our coloring station
🐢 You helped your own "baby sea turtles" avoid natural and human-made threats at our Race to the Ocean game

And a big thank you to PhD student researchers, Adriana, Ivonne, and Salome, and undergraduate researcher, Mary, for sharing stories about your work in the Galapagos with the community 🩵

Visit ncsciencefestival.org/ for more science events happening this April!

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Three days until the UNC Science Expo! Learn about marine life 🐢, the environment 🏝️, and science in the Galapagos 🔬 @ booth 18 from 11am-4pm this Saturday.