FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Journalist and meteorologist Laura Smith joins the series as its new host.
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC, 8/11/2026 — PBS North Carolina announces season nine of its Emmy Award-winning original series Sci NC. The new season premieres Thursday, September 10, 8:30 PM, on PBS NC as well as online and on the free PBS app.
Emmy Award-nominated journalist Laura Smith joins Sci NC this season as its new host. Until recently, Smith was the weekday morning and noon meteorologist at CBS 17 in Raleigh. Frank Graff, Sci NC’s longtime host and executive producer, retired in late 2025 after a long and distinguished broadcast career, which included five Emmy Awards. In 2018, Graff helped launch Sci NC and was instrumental in its success as a thriving multiplatform brand.
“We thank Frank Graff for his tremendous stewardship of Sci NC. He set a high bar for science storytelling, and we are delighted to welcome Laura Smith to carry the torch,” said Senior Producer Andrea Corona. “In addition to her experience as a journalist, meteorologist and anchor, Laura has built a reputation for making science understandable and approachable. That winning combination is perfect for Sci NC, where we strive to engage people of all backgrounds about the wonders of science.”
In addition to Smith’s role as meteorologist at CBS 17, she created and led the consumer advocacy franchise “What’s Driving You Crazy,” where she worked with viewers and local agencies to help resolve roadway safety and infrastructure concerns.
“I am thrilled to be joining the team behind Sci NC,” said Laura Smith. “PBS has always been part of my life. I cannot wait to introduce viewers to the fascinating people, discoveries and stories happening across North Carolina. There is so much incredible work taking place in our state, and I hope every episode leaves people learning something new and feeling inspired.”
This season, Sci NC will feature a broad range of stories exploring nature, wildlife and scientific innovation happening across the state. The season premiere on September 10 will look at the race to rescue one of the world’s rarest salamanders in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Season nine also includes stories from UNC Research, the research enterprise of UNC-Chapel Hill; and high-speed photography of insects by biologist Adrian Smith of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh.
Sci NC publishes new science content on YouTube and Instagram throughout the year.
The series is supported by a generous bequest gift from Dan Carrigan and the Gaia Earth-Balance Endowment through the Gaston Community Foundation. Stories of the resilience and recovery of western North Carolina communities impacted by Hurricane Helene are made possible by Dogwood Health Trust.
Broadcast Schedule
Sci NC airs Thursday nights on PBS NC. It will be pre-empted November 26 and December 3 due to Thanksgiving and PBS NC’s fall pledge drive. Visit pbsnc.org/schedule for the latest broadcast information.
Episode 1: Eye of the Storm
Premieres Thursday, September 10, 8:30 PM
How technology is transforming hurricane forecast models, and how cooling pavement could reduce city heat. Plus, scientists try to save a rare salamander species that was almost wiped out by Hurricane Helene.
Episode 2: Go with the Flow
Premieres Thursday, September 17, 8:30 PM
Tracking trash from our rivers to the ocean, a look at the hidden risks in flood zones and how sharks and other aquatic animals are transported through aquariums. Plus, UNC Research studies how to prevent deaths from drug overdoses.
Episode 3: Handle with Care
Premieres Thursday, September 24, 8:30 PM
The impact of white-nose syndrome on North Carolina bats, a beekeeper’s fight to protect pollinators and how waterfalls affect a park’s ecosystem. Plus, UNC Research looks at how to save oysters from mass die-offs.
Episode 4: History Meets Science
Premieres Thursday, October 1, 8:30 PM
Student archaeologists discover a centuries-old shipwreck, and crime-scene technicians study 250-year-old bullet holes at a Revolutionary site. Plus, Adrian Smith of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences takes a close look at parasitic wasps.
Episode 5: High-Tech Solutions
Premieres Thursday, October 8, 8:30 PM
Scientists turn to advanced computer modeling to understand how storms are reshaping the coast, and NC State researchers at the Wilson College of Textiles put athletic apparel to the test. Plus, Adrian Smith of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences studies North Carolina caterpillars.
Episode 6: Innovative Thinking
Premieres Thursday, October 15, 8:30 PM
A mobile glass-crusher in Charlotte transforms waste materials into cement, and the science behind a small-batch bourbon made in Durham. Plus, researchers at UNC-Chapel Hill train an A.I. robot named Fetch to “think.”
Episode 7: Coastal Science
Premieres Thursday, October 22, 8:30 PM
Inside the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher’s fight to save the ocean, and how tidal flooding around the Battleship North Carolina has skyrocketed since it arrived in Wilmington in 1961*. Plus, North Carolina’s coastal wildlife refuges welcome tens of thousands of birds during winter migration.
* This story is part of the Pulitzer Center’s Connected Coastlines, a nationwide climate reporting initiative in coastal states.
Episode 8: Scientific Clues
Premieres Thursday, October 29, 8:30 PM
Scientists tag, release and track fish to their spawning grounds, Hurricane Erin’s impact on the NC coast and UNC Research investigates why seagrass meadows in North Carolina’s coastal waters are shrinking. Plus, Adrian Smith of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences shows where the museum stores its vast collection of insects and bugs, some since the 1800s.
Episode 9: Science at Work
Premieres Thursday, November 5, 8:30 PM
Why one leech species favors alligators as its host, UNC Research examines natural structures built to fight erosion and protect marine life, and robots revolutionize vaccine-making. Plus, Adrian Smith of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences studies insect diversity in flight.
Episode 10: Health Check
Premieres Thursday, November 12, 8:30 PM
How the mechanics of a pipe organ become music, and why the lawn of the future may be grown in a greenhouse. Plus, a minimally invasive procedure that can shrink an enlarged prostate.
Episode 11: Beyond the Stars
Premieres Thursday, December 10, 8:30 PM
How a simulated universe could unlock the secrets of dark matter, the crucial role amateur astronomers play in the exploration of night skies and why robots at NC State are running a laboratory. Plus, Adrian Smith of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences examines rove beetles.
Episode 12: Science Takes Flight
Premieres Thursday, December 17, 8:30 PM
Moths’ important role in ecosystems, why researchers at NC State are exploring hypersonic jets and why a UNC-Chapel Hill researcher believes music can help unlock how the brain works. Plus, Adrian Smith of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences studies jumping predatory ants.
Episode 13: Out on a Limb
Premieres Thursday, December 24, 8:30 PM
North Carolina researchers try to develop the best Christmas tree while fighting a soil-borne tree killer*, and a visit to some of the oldest trees on the East Coast at the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest in western North Carolina*. Plus, why crews from The Nature Conservancy are burning the forest on purpose.
* Stories of the resilience and recovery of western North Carolina communities impacted by Hurricane Helene are made possible by Dogwood Health Trust.
As North Carolina’s statewide PBS network serving the country’s third largest public media market, PBS North Carolina educates, informs, entertains and inspires its audience on air, online and in person. Through its unique partnership of public investment and private support, the network includes in-person engagement, digital-first social and online content delivery and four over-the-air channels: PBS NC, Rootle PBS KIDS, the Explorer Channel and the North Carolina Channel. Its transformational events and content spark curiosity and wonder for all North Carolinians. Additionally, PBS North Carolina serves as the backbone for North Carolina’s state emergency services. To learn more about PBS North Carolina, visit pbsnc.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
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