Laurel Martinez
M.S. Student
Year entered program: 2023
Department: Biology
Mentor: Thomas Turner, Ph.D.
Interests: Ecological RestorationLaurel Martinez was born in Tampa, Florida, and grew up in Bethesda, Maryland. Her love of nature began during childhood explorations of Cabin John Creek at Locust Grove Nature Center, where, in the sixth grade, she did her first science fair project on stream health. During the summer, she attended Maryland Summer Center camps at Horn Point Laboratory and aboard the Sultana, which fostered her love of Chesapeake Bay and sparked an interest in science.
Martinez completed her high school education at Walter Johnson High School. She pursued her undergraduate degree at the University of Vermont (UVM), where she studied at the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, majoring in Environmental Science and minoring in Plant Biology. At UVM, Martinez was a part of the Aiken Scholar's program. During the summer of 2015, she participated in a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center's Marine Ecology Lab, where she researched oyster growth and feeding. In the spring of her junior year, she studied abroad for a semester in Botswana with Round River Conservation Studies, where she completed a project on elephant demography and their use of riparian resources.
Martinez's research is guided by her mentor, Dr. Thomas Turner. She collaborates with U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station professionals, including Katelyn Driscoll, Jacqueline Ott, Alexander Krichels, and the Museum of Southwestern Biology at the University of New Mexico.
Department: Biology
Mentor: Thomas Turner, Ph.D.
Interests: Ecological Restoration
Bio
Martinez completed her high school education at Walter Johnson High School. She pursued her undergraduate degree at the University of Vermont (UVM), where she studied at the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, majoring in Environmental Science and minoring in Plant Biology. At UVM, Martinez was a part of the Aiken Scholar's program. During the summer of 2015, she participated in a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center's Marine Ecology Lab, where she researched oyster growth and feeding. In the spring of her junior year, she studied abroad for a semester in Botswana with Round River Conservation Studies, where she completed a project on elephant demography and their use of riparian resources.
Martinez's research is guided by her mentor, Dr. Thomas Turner. She collaborates with U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station professionals, including Katelyn Driscoll, Jacqueline Ott, Alexander Krichels, and the Museum of Southwestern Biology at the University of New Mexico.
