Laura Jessup

2022 Fulbright U.S. Student Program Grantee

Hometown

Dewitt, MI

Major

Forestry and Natural Resources

College

College of Agriculture

 

Laura Jessup has accepted a Fulbright U.S. Program Grant to conduct independent research in Morogoro, Tanzania. Started in 1946, the Fulbright program supports students like Laura to travel to one of over 160 countries to teach English, attend graduate school, or undertake research projects.

As a PhD candidate in Forestry and Natural Resources, Laura studies not only the conservation and restoration of tropical dry forests but also their relationship to the communities that rely on those forests. Dry tropical forests, however, are an imperiled ecosystem in Sub Saharan Africa. Laura will contribute to the assessment and management of these vital resources by studying the relationship between vegetation structure and climate within these forests. In addition to contributing to her doctoral research, Laura’s efforts in Tanzania will also support the work of Reforest Africa, a non-profit that shares Laura’s commitment to preserving critical natural resources for current and future generations.

It will not be Laura’s first time in Tanzania. In 2021, she spent 8 weeks in Arusha, where she completed an intensive Swahili immersion program through the Critical Language Scholarship program. During her Fulbright grant, Laura looks forward to further developing her language skills while continuing to immerse herself in Tanzania’s rich natural and cultural landscapes alike. Upon her return to the US, Laura will complete her PhD before pursuing a career with an organization like the Nature Conservancy. It is Laura’s ambition to return to Africa to pursue applied research and work directly with the communities she aims to serve through her scientific pursuits.