Laura is a Seattle native who attended the University of Southern California, earning both a B.S. and an M.A. in environmental studies in 2012. She first began scuba diving on a course that examined coral reef biodiversity in Guam and Palau. During her semester abroad in Australia, she went diving as often as possible, traveling to places like Stradbroke Island, Byron Bay, and even Cairns to dive the Great Barrier Reef. Laura designed a research project on Catalina Island at the Wrigley Marine Science Center to measure and monitor the health and diversity of sea grass, a keystone species, in a Marine Protected Area (MPA). Part of the research included designing and implementing a monthly data collection methodology that could ensure replicable results over the long term. Laura currently is an Associate at the Center for Clean Air Policy (CCAP), a climate change think tank based in Washington, D.C. that works on implementing strong climate policies in developing countries. Through her position, Laura has worked with government partners, and has gotten the opportunity to travel to Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines, and present at multiple UNEP workshops. Prior to her position at CCAP, Laura was an Executive Fellow for Renewable Energy in the office of California Governor Jerry Brown, focused on next-level climate and energy policy. She also worked at the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) in D.C. on NEPA oversight. She hopes to continue contributing to the health and diversity of the underwater world through a long-lasting career in environmental policy, and attributes her strong science background in scientific research diving as a main driving force for working in the climate change field. Laura is committed to finding a means to achieve an international binding agreement on climate, which will have positive impacts on slowing ocean acidification and improved conservation of marine ecosystems.