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Marjee Chmiel

Marjee is the Director of Evaluation and Editorial Development at Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Marjee previous worked at the Smithsonian Science Education Center as the Division Director of Curriculum and Communications. Marjee has an undergraduate degree in chemistry and a master's degree in curriculum design, both from Marquette University. Her Ph.D. is from George Mason University in Educational Research and Evaluation Methods.

Stories from this author

(Photo credit: Marjee Chmiel/Smithsonian Science Education Center)

Your Best Friends’ Genes

The friendship between humans and dogs began when our ancestors lived as nomadic hunter-gatherers and sheds light onto the reasoning behind why there are so many different breeds of dogs today.

Next time you enjoy some creamy ice cream or zesty salad dressing, thank kelp! (Photo credit: Velvetfish/iStock/Thinkstock)

What Does All-Natural Mean?

Alginates, extracted from seaweeds, can be used to thicken foods without altering their flavor, keep salad dressings fresh, or even make dental impressions.