Education
Sc.B., Biology, Brown University
Ph.D., Plant Biology, Louisiana State University
Laura Gough, Ph.D.
she/her/hers
Professor and Director of Undergraduate Research and Creative Inquiry
Areas of Expertise
Plant Ecology
Inclusive Excellence in STEM
Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs)
Professional Development for Faculty Mentors and Undergraduate Researchers
Biography
I am interested in the forces that structure plant communities and how community attributes affect ecosystem function. I have conducted ecological research in arctic tundra, temperate and subtropical wetlands, terrestrial grasslands, and urban ecosystems. Since 2017 I have led inclusive excellence projects dedicated to helping faculty create more and more effective research opportunities for students by developing course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) and learning how to be more inclusive mentors.
Selected Publications
McLaren, J.R. and L. Gough. 2026. Species community shifts in fertilized tundra affect decomposition through changes in litter quantity, quality and the decomposition microenvironment. Arctic Science.
Kramer, S.*, L. Gough, and V. Beauchamp. 2025. The effect of legacy sediment removal and floodplain reconnection on hydrochory in urban streams. Ecological Engineering.
Gough, L., R. Miranda, M. Hemm, L. Norman, and B. Jara. 2025. Faculty perceptions of a professional development program to learn how to develop CUREs and teach inclusively and equitably. Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education.
Machmuller, M.B., L. Lynch, S.L. Mosier, G.R. Shaver, F. Calderon, L. Gough, M.L. Haddix, J.R. McLaren, E. Paul, M.N. Weintraub, M.F. Cotrufo, and M.D. Wallenstein. 2024. Arctic soil carbon trajectories shaped by nitrogen and plant-microbe interactions. Nature Climate Change.
Norman, L., L. Gough, M. Hemm, J. Doyle, K. Elkins, B. Jara, and R. Miranda. 2024. Integrating a DEI focus into a CURE development model across STEM departments. Scholarship and Practice of Undergraduate Research 7: 61-72. doi: 10.18833/spur/7/4/2
Williamson, N.*, M. Suchocki*, and L. Gough. 2024. Soil nutrient availability affects tundra plant composition and plant-vole interactions. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research 56(1).
*Indicates TU Graduate Student co-author.
Selected Courses Taught
BIOL 120: Principles of Biology
BIOL 204: Educational and Career Planning for the Biologist
BIOL 402: General Ecology
BIOL 435/535: Plant Ecology
BIOL 611: Global Change Biology