Laura López Hoffman

Laura López Hoffman is a Professor at the University of Arizona's School of Natural Resources and the Environment within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She holds a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from Stanford University and a B.S. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology from Princeton University, with additional training from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public & International Affairs.

• Ph.D., Biological Sciences, Stanford University
• B.S., Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University

Her research focuses on natural resource policy, ecosystem services, and migratory species conservation, with particular expertise in transboundary environmental governance and payments for ecosystem services. She pioneered the 'spatial subsidies' framework to quantify cross-jurisdictional benefits from migratory species like monarch butterflies and Mexican free-tailed bats. Her work bridges ecological science with socioeconomic analysis to inform conservation policy across international borders.

Her 15 most recent publications demonstrate consistent leadership in migratory species conservation, with recurring themes in transboundary governance, economic valuation of ecosystem services, and Indigenous knowledge integration. Key collaborations include USGS, US Forest Service, and Mexican conservation agencies.

• USGS Natural Resource Conservation Achievement Award ('Trail Blazer' category)
• U.S. Department of Interior Conservation Achievement Award
• Agnese Haury Endowment Faculty Fellow
• Woodrow Wilson Foundation Career Enhancement Fellow

As a principal investigator for NEPAccess—a platform analyzing 50 years of National Environmental Policy Act documents—she leads efforts to modernize environmental decision-making. Her teaching portfolio includes graduate courses in natural resource policy and law, renewable resources, and thesis supervision across multiple degree programs. She actively mentors students through dissertation committees and interdisciplinary research projects addressing climate change adaptation and environmental justice.