Laura López-Hoffman

López-Hoffman studies the linkages between the environment and human society. The objective of her research is to contribute to the development of policies and institutions that protect ecosystems while sustaining their contributions to human well-being. She uses interdisciplinary and comparative research approaches to integrate science and policy, in particular the concept of ecosystem services for evaluating the complex interactions between ecosystems and species, the services they provide, and human well-being. Much of López-Hoffman’s work focuses on the science and policy ecosystem services in the southwestern US and northwestern Mexico. López-Hoffman is also very interested in the ecology and policy of managing transboundary systems. For example, she has been studying how migratory species facilitate the sharing of ecosystem services between the United States and Mexico. In addition, she is working with colleagues across North America to develop strategies to make transboundary conservation efforts more adaptive to climate change.

Degrees

• PhD, Biological Sciences, Stanford University, 2003