My Story
I grew up on a small farm in Yancey County, just down the road from Warren Wilson, and these mountains have shaped my life. My path to science wasn’t a straight one: I began as a french horn performance major before discovering biology at UNC Chapel Hill. After graduation, I served in the Peace Corps in Guatemala for three years, then returned to Western North Carolina to study cliff ecology at Appalachian State University. Following several years in land conservation and twelve years of teaching at Mars Hill University, I completed a PhD focused on the lichens of the Southern Appalachians. As a lichenologist, ecologist, yoga teacher, and rock climber, I bring a deep love of Appalachian landscapes into my teaching and research. I believe that wise stewardship begins with awe and curiosity born of direct experience. This means we spend a lot of class time outside, cultivating careful observation while developing the knowledge and skills to practice conservation.
Laura BoggessI love teaching at Warren Wilson because we are a community of curious, grounded, and engaged learners. Together, we learn by doing: cultivating knowledge, wonder, and responsibility through close relationships with one another, our community, and the natural world.
Education
- B.A. in Biology, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill (Morehead-Cain Scholar)
- M.S. in Ecology and Evolution, Appalachian State University
- PhD in Plant Science, The City University of New York and the New York Botanical Garden.
Research Interests
- Lichen ecology and conservation in the Southern Appalachians
- Cliff ecology, biodiversity, and management of rock outcrop systems
- Community ecology of biodiversity and environmental drivers
Courses Taught
- BIO 3100: Conservation Biology