Making a Difference in Gumbo Land

Laura Merner (Class of 2008) knows swamps, mosquitoes, and consequences of reconfiguring the Mississippi delta for various human uses. Placing herself ahead of her class in course credits, Laura has been able to spend almost a year working as a Wetlands Restoration Project Coordinator with Common Ground Relief. Stationed in New Orleans, she has been working on restoring the important wetlands of the delta, devastated by engineering works that have reduced the deposits of sediments from the Mississippi and by the impacts of Katrina. She also works with middle and high school students in Orleans Parish to educate them about wetlands and wetland protection.

Laura, from Kinnelon, NJ, is a double major and honors student in Geography and Environment Science and Policy. Selected as a HERO Fellow and NSF-REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates), she and her co-workers began the HERO initiative on the vulnerability of central Massachusetts to climate change. This work led to several research awards including First Place, 2005 NESTVAL Undergr4aduate Poster Competition and First Place, 2006 American Association of Geographers, Water Resource Specialty Group, Undergraduate Poster Competition.

Laura will return to Clark in the Fall of 2007 to complete her degree. She will spend the Summer of 2007 as an NSF-REU in the Environment Science Institute at the University of Texas. Laura aspires to attend graduate school in environmental science and hydrology.