Brief Biography:
Dr. Laura Lautz is a Program Director in the Hydrologic Sciences Program in the Directorate of Geosciences’ Earth Science Division at the National Science Foundation (NSF). Her research program addresses how hydrologic processes influence water quality and movement through watersheds, with particular emphasis on how water and solutes move through paired surface and groundwater systems, heat tracing, and the nexus of water and energy systems. She works on interdisciplinary research projects, within which she uses field experiments coupled with computer modeling. Prior to her arrival at NSF, she was the Jessie Page Heroy Professor and Department Chair of Earth Sciences at Syracuse University. Lautz has been awarded over $4 million in funding as principal investigator on National Science Foundation (NSF) grants. Lautz has received the Chancellor's Citation for Faculty Excellence and Scholarly Distinction from Syracuse University, a CAREER award from the NSF, and is a Fellow of the Geological Society of America. She lives in northern Virginia with her husband, twin 11-year-olds, dog, and cat.
EDUCATION
Ph.D., 2005 Department of Earth Sciences, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
M.Ed., 1999 Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
B.S., 1998 Department of Geology & Environmental Geosciences, Lafayette College, Easton, PA
PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS
2019 – present Program Director, Hydrologic Sciences, National Science Foundation, Alexandria, VA
2017 – 2019 Jessie Page Heroy Professor & Department Chair, Department of Earth Sciences, Syracuse University,
Syracuse, NY
2012 – 2017 Associate Professor, Department of Earth Sciences, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
2008 – 2012 Assistant Professor, Department of Earth Sciences, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
2005 – 2008 Assistant Professor, Department of Forest and Natural Resources Management, State University of New York,
College of Environmental Science & Forestry, Syracuse, NY
AWARDS AND HONORS
Chancellor’s Citation for Faculty Excellence and Scholarly Distinction, Syracuse University, 2019
Fellow, Geological Society of America, 2018
SyracuseCoE Faculty Fellow (SyracuseCoE is New York State’s Center of Excellence for Environmental and Energy Systems), 2016-2019
Excellence in Graduate Education Faculty Recognition Award, Syracuse University, 2013
NSF CAREER Grant, 2008
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Leadership Skills for Success in the Scientific Workforce, Earth Science Women’s Network, Boulder, Colorado, October 2018
Workshop for Heads and Chairs of Earth and Space Sciences Departments, American Geophysical Union, New Orleans (December 2017) and Washington, DC (December 2018)
Hearts of GOLD NSF-sponsored workshop to help leaders in geosciences become champions for diversity, Colorado Springs, July 2017
Denice Denton Emerging Leaders Workshop, University of Wisconsin-Madison, June 2016
Faculty Leadership and Professional Development Program, Cornell University, January 2016