Laureen Elgert

Laureen Elgert is a Professor & Department Head at The Global School, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). She holds a PhD from the London School of Economics (2011), an MSc from the University of Alberta (2003), and a BA from Trent University (1999). Her research focuses on environment and development, sustainable policy frameworks, and the intersections of science, technology, and governance. She has led projects on soy production in Paraguay, certification systems, and sustainability indicators. Elgert co-edited an upcoming volume on Paraguayan social movements and pioneered WPI’s Public Interest Technology (PIT) initiatives to address technology’s societal impacts. She directs WPI’s Ecuador Project Center and has held leadership roles, including Editor of Critical Policy Studies and Board Member of the Association for Environmental Studies & Sciences (AESS).

Her work bridges academia and practice, advising over 50 student projects on topics like eco-anxiety, sustainable agriculture, and community development. Elgert’s grants include $270,000 from the Public Interest Technology Network to institutionalize PIT at WPI. She collaborates internationally, advancing equity-centered sustainability solutions in regions like Albania, Ecuador, and the Czech Republic.

Key highlights include her 2023 edited volume on Paraguayan social movements and her 2020 PIT grant to foster technology-justice conversations. Her research underscores how policy frameworks can both address and exacerbate systemic inequalities, emphasizing participatory approaches to achieve socially just outcomes.