Laura is a PhD student in the department of Earth Sciences working with Dr. Christopher Scholz. Prior to attending Syracuse University Laura obtained a B.S. at Georgia State University and a M.S. at the University of Kentucky both in the geological sciences. As a M.S. student she utilized paleolimnology and diatom paleoecology to study the paleoclimate of the eastern Sierra Nevada mountain range in California. The goal of this work was to provide insight into how anthropogenic climate change will impact California’s water supply so that strategies can be made to develop resilience.