Laura Cisneros (she/her) is an Assistant Extension Professor in the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment & Institute of the Environment at UConn. She received a B.S. in Zoology at Michigan State University, and a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Connecticut.

Currently, Laura is the Director of UConn’s Natural Resources Conservation Academy, through which she develops and implements place-based, environmental action programs that integrate technology used by professionals and support intergenerational (e.g., teen & adult teams) community conservation projects.

Her recent efforts with the NRCA are geared towards making NRCA programs more culturally relevant, and using equitable, inclusive, and authentic community engagement practices. Her associated research efforts center on understanding how environmental action programs and community science impact capacity to address environmental issues.

Through Laura’s leadership, the NRCA has received 9 award recognitions, and Laura is currently a CEE-Change Fellow with the North American Association for Environmental Education.