Dr. Hazel Barton has taken two of her life passions, and combined them into an extraordinary career. She’s a microbiologist working at the University of Akron in Ohio, and an avid cave explorer. Dr. Barton focuses her work on microorganisms that thrive in deep subsurface environments such as caves.
Dr. Barton co-starred in the 2001 IMAX film Journey into Amazing Caves, and has co-written a children’s book based on the film. She and her work have also been featured in several documentaries and television programs.
On this episode, Run It Like a Girl travels to Akron, Ohio, where guest host Jodi Kearns learns about some of the challenges faced by women in two fields traditionally dominated by men, and how Dr. Barton discovered that she didn’t have to sacrifice her femininity to be accepted as an exceptional cave explorer.