Hazel Barton

Who is Hazel Barton?

Hazel A. Barton is a professor of microbiology and geology at University of Akron and co-star of the 2001 IMAX film Journey Into Amazing Caves. She has made appearances on several television shows including the CBS Early Show in 2007 when she was featured by Phil Koeghan as a "Koeghan Hero." In December of 2006, Barton was featured on Animal Planet's The Real Lost World. Appearances feature Barton's research involving caves and the microbial life that inhabit these harsh environments. She has published numerous publications on cave research and extremophile bacteria and co-authored with Nancy Holler Aulenbach the children's book Exploring Caves: Journeys into the Earth, based on their 2001 film. She has also been featured in the children's book Extreme Scientists: Exploring Nature's Mysteries from Perilous Places by Donna M. Jackson. She was one of the scientists featured in the History Channel special Journey to the Center of the World, which documented the exploration of the Guatemalan cave Naj Tunich, which was used as a sacred site by the ancient Maya.