Biography
Laurel is interested in understanding how climate impacts society, especially in Latin America. As a Climate and Society scientist, Laurel desires to learn more about the impacts of different climate phenomena occurring at different timescales, also known as cross-timescale interference, and how these impacts affect livelihoods at a local level. She also assess ways to improve climate communication among local and multilateral organizations. Laurel conducts her research at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society, part of the Climate School at Columbia.
In her previous work during her Master's and at the IRI, Laurel spent time in Guatemala working to increase climate knowledge throughout the country, specifically with locals in rural regions. Following this, she switched gears to focus on how Aedes-borne diseases in the Americas and worldwide are impacted by climate. Through this research, she focused on assessing and improving the skill of Subseasonal to Seasonal (S2S) forecasts to better understand how models can be used by decision makers to improve the livelihoods of their constituents.