After studying wildlife ecology and management with SFS, Laura finished her degree in Biology at Kenyon College and moved to Portland, OR. On the West Coast, she worked in science education and curriculum development with the Audubon Society of Portland and the Oregon Zoo.

She returned to East Africa again in 2018 as an intern with the Elephants & Bees Project, working with rural Kenyan communities to protect small farms from elephant crop-raids using beehive fences. There, she caught a fascination with bees that led her to complete her Ph.D. in Entomology at Virginia Tech. She graduated in December, 2024.

Favorite SFS Memory: Hiking up Moyo Hill at the center in Tanzania!