Lauren Podell joined the Local 4 News Team in December of 2007. Podell started her career at WDIV as a part of the Local 4 News Morning Team but the start of 2009 brought new opportunities.

Lauren has expanded her role here at WDIV as the traffic and general assignment reporter during the 4pm, 5pm, and 6pm newscasts. Her goal- to bring you the most accurate and up-to-date traffic information to make sure you always get where you're going on time.

Something very important to Lauren is her time spent volunteering for The Rhonda Walker Foundation. She works along side her friend and colleague, Rhonda Walker to support inner-city teen girls throughout the Detroit Public School System. The mission: To empower inner-city teen girls towards becoming strong, confident, successful and moral future leaders.

She graduated from Oakland University with Departmental Honors and earned her Bachelors degree as a Communications and Journalism major. During her education career at Oakland, she was an anchor at OU TV and hosted her own local radio show on 88.3 WXOU.

Lauren is no stranger to the world of television; She started as an intern in Southfield with the Fox 2 News department and even interned right here at Local 4 before she took the reins as Traffic Reporter.

She was born in West Bloomfield, but she spent her early child hood in Cleveland, Ohio. Lauren returned to Michigan and calls Shelby Township her home.

Lauren is a huge Pistons fan, has a weakness for shopping, and loves spending time with friends and family!

Favorite Book: Blindness, Twilight series

Favorite Movie: Steel Magnolias

Favorite Rock Bands: Aerosmith, Shinedown, The Beatles

Favorite Restaurant: Mexican Village, PF Changs

To contact Lauren, e-mail her at lpodell@wdiv.com.

Follow Lauren on Twitter @LaurenPodell.