Dr. Joanna Sierks Smith has a PhD in American Religion. Her research focuses on nature, foodways, and environmental philosophy, and her most recent project on the history of the meat industry took her to slaughterhouses and farms around North Carolina. In addition to teaching, Dr. Smith serves as the Associate Director for State Outreach at Carolina Public Humanities, where she works with partners at community colleges, libraries, and historic sites around the state to organize public conversations about some of today’s most pressing issues – including environmental issues.