Laura Jackson

Professor Laura Jackson grew up surrounded by prairie, wheat and pasture in the Smoky Hills region of north-central Kansas. She received a Bachelor's degree in Biology from Grinnell College, and a Ph.D. in Plant Ecology from Cornell University. Laura has been a UNI Biology faculty member since 1993, teaching courses in conservation biology, restoration ecology and environmental studies. Her research has focused on the restoration of biological diversity in agriculture landscapes, and the dynamics of seeds and seedling establishment in tallgrass prairie restoration. Laura has served on several advisory boards including the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture (2001-2012), the Iowa State Preserves Board, and Monarch Joint Venture. She is co-editor, with Dana Jackson, of The Farm as Natural Habitat: Reconnecting Food Systems with Ecosystems. (2002, Island Press).