SOAR Member Profiles

Dawn Taylor

• SOAR Position: Member
• Major: Biochemistry and Studio Art
• Faculty Mentor(s): Jonathan Trundle

Current Focus: Chlorophyll & Silver: Documenting Tennessee’s Native Trees Through Science and Alternative Photography

Additional Interests: Meditation, books, light and sound, cycling

Project Description

Chlorophyll & Silver is a science-meets-art exploration of Tennessee’s native trees. This project blends ecological field research with alternative photographic processes like cyanotype, infrared film, and chlorophyll printing to create a visual archive of native species in their natural habitats. The result will be a printed and digital book, a public exhibition, and an invitation to see trees through both scientific and poetic lenses.

Why does this topic interest you?

I’m drawn to this topic because it sits at the intersection of everything I care about, science, nature, storytelling, and healing. Trees carry deep ecological, cultural, and emotional meaning. As someone with a background in biochemistry, neuroscience, and art, I see them not only as biological organisms but as archives of time, health, and memory. Documenting native trees through alternative photography allows me to connect environmental science with artistic interpretation, to create something that is both visually compelling and scientifically rooted. It’s also a way to give attention and reverence to what we often overlook. Through this project, I hope to encourage others to see native trees as living witnesses of place and possibility.

What are your professional aspirations?

I am interested in Medical Science, Medical illustration and Fin Art Conservation. We will see where grad school takes me.

Do you have any advice for future researchers?

Start with what fascinates you. Let your curiosity guide you, even if your project doesn’t fit neatly into one discipline. Some of the most powerful research comes from the spaces between fields, between science and art, data and story, logic and intuition. Be organized, but also stay open to discovery. Nature will always surprise you if you’re paying attention. And don’t underestimate the power of observation, careful, quiet noticing can be a research method in itself. Finally, document everything: your process, your field notes, your mistakes. You never know what detail might shape your next question.

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