Laura Peterson

Laura Peterson is a Professor of Environmental Studies at Luther College, affiliated with the Chemistry Department. Her research focuses on paleoclimatology and paleoceanography, particularly reconstructing past ocean temperatures to understand long-term climate behavior. She teaches courses such as Environmental Geology, GIS, and field geology in Italy. Peterson leads NSF-funded research generating a 6-million-year sea surface temperature record from the southwest Pacific. Educated at Carleton College (B.A., 2001), Brown University (M.Sc., 2005; Ph.D., 2009), her work bridges geology, climate science, and environmental systems. She advises student researchers and coordinates study abroad programs in Italy, emphasizing field-based learning.

Education:

• B.A. Geology, Carleton College, 2001
• M.Sc. Geological Sciences, Brown University, 2005
• Ph.D. Geological Sciences, Brown University, 2009

Research Interests:

• Climate system evolution
• Paleoceanographic reconstructions
• Anthropogenic climate influence
• Geologic field methods in Italy
• GIS applications in environmental studies

Publications: Over a decade of peer-reviewed work in Nature Geoscience, Science, and leading geology journals, focusing on tropical and Mediterranean climate history. Recent studies address Miocene cooling and Plio-Pleistocene climate transitions.

Advising & Grants: Active mentor to undergraduate researchers; NSF grants support Pacific Ocean paleotemperature studies. Coordinates Italy field programs integrating geology, environmental science, and cultural immersion.

Labs/Teams: Collaborates with international geoscience networks, including co-authorship with leading climate researchers like Thomas Herbert and Alexey Fedorov.