Dr. Laura Weiser Erlandson received a bachelor of science degree in biology (chemistry minor) from Daemen College in 1995. She earned her master’s degree in biology from Binghamton University and a PhD in entomology and ecology, evolutionary biology, from Iowa State University.
After working as a postdoctoral associate at the University of Minnesota, she returned to New York and joined the SUNY Polytechnic Institute biology faculty. In 2014, she accepted a position at Texas A&M University – Central Texas to develop and direct their new science program. Erlandson is currently the chair of the university’s Department of Science and Mathematics. She also leads a research lab that focuses on entomological issues. Her students are encouraged to participate in research with several winning awards for conference presentations!
Erlandson also volunteers her time to both professional and community service. In addition to her university service, she is active in the Entomological Society of America and speaks to a wide variety of local community and school groups about insects and ecology.
Her experiences at Daemen College fostered her love for teaching and service. She models her teaching style on that of Dr. Brenda Young, professor and director of the Global and Local Sustainability Department at Daemen.
“All my professors were wonderful, but especially Dr. Young who took me under her wing and showed me how rewarding it is to be a professor. I also remember working in the field with Dr. Young and finding my passion for insects. I want to inspire this type of passion in my own students.”