Laura’s background and interests in Natural Resources have always been multidisciplinary.  They began with an undergraduate study in Ethics, which turned to practical applications as an environmental volunteer in the Peace Corps.  From there, her interests began to take clearer shape, turning toward participatory processes of both traditional and modern origins.  Issues with multiple stakeholders, conflicts in values, and connections to histories of community natural resource management have been the issues that have lit sparks in her academic and professional life. Her research at UVM will focus on the intersection of climate change, community health, and forestry resources.  It will include social, economic, and ecological factors that drive demand for wood biomass.

Advisor: Cecilia Danks