Introducing workshop leader Laura van der Pol

We rarely think much about the world just beneath our feet. Luckily, we have devoted Soil and Crop scientists, such as Laura van der Pol - the workshop leader for “Dirt Detectives”. At Colorado State University, Laura studies the life that thrives in soil and how that is important for soil composition. She was guided to this career path by a withstanding curiosity for the natural world. She recalls spending much of her childhood wading around in the bayou by her house collecting insects and aquatic organisms to study. Although this seems like a predictive beginning into her studies of marine biology, Laura insists that her path has in no way been inevitable. Laura could always imagine herself pursuing various careers- firefighter, museum curator, and veterinarian just to name a few.

Laura shared that there were talented women who pushed and encouraged her while pursuing her chosen path. In particular, she had an unwaveringly positive and supportive college professor who Laura thinks was instrumental for her ability to continue her studies in graduate school. Laura has a comparable devotion to her students that likely comes from a long-identified love for working with young people. This desire was fulfilled during her time spent as a high school teacher. Now that she in graduate school, she does outreach to have the opportunity to work with young students. We are lucky to have Laura on the Expanding Your Horizons team to share what it is like to study one of the most important natural resources on the planet.