Dr. Laura Cisneros

Associate Extension Professor

Department of Natural Resources & the Environment
Institute of the Environment

Extension Website

Office: University of Connecticut U-4087, 1376 Storrs Road, Storrs, CT 06269-4087 (Room: Young #230)
Phone:  860-486-4917
Email: laura.cisneros@uconn.edu

Education

Professional Experience

Research Interests

Publications

Education

PhD 2014 University of Connecticut, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
BS 2006 Michigan State University, Zoology

Professional Experience

2023 - Present Associate Extension Professor, Department of Natural Resources & the Environment and Institute of the Environment, University of Connecticut
2019 - 2023 Assistant Extension Professor, Department of Natural Resources & the Environment and Institute of the Environment, University of Connecticut
2014 - 2019 Visiting Assistant Extension Educator & Coordinator of Natural Resources Conservation Academy, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Connecticut
2014 Adjunct Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut

Research Interests

As the Director of UConn’s Natural Resources Conservation Academy (NRCA; nrca.uconn.edu), I develop and implement place-based, environmental action programs that integrate technology used by professionals and support intergenerational (e.g., teen & adult teams) community conservation projects. My recent efforts with the NRCA are geared towards making NRCA programs more culturally sustaining, and using equitable, inclusive, and authentic community engagement practices. My associated research efforts center on understanding how environmental action programs and community science impact student achievement, develop informed & engaged citizens, and expand capacity to address environmental issues.

    Select Publications

    • Environmental Education Publications
      • Cisneros, L.M., Campbell, T., Freidenfelds, N., Lindemann, A., Elliot-Famularo, H., Chadwick, C., Dickson, D. & Park, B-Y. (2023) Eco-digital storytelling: Engaging historically excluded populations in environmental action through mentoring, geospatial technology, and digital media storytelling. Frontiers in Education, DOI: 10.3389/2022.1083064
      • Simmons, J., Campbell, T., Moss, D.M., Volin, J., Arnold, C., Cisneros, L.M., Chadwick, C., Dickson, D., & Freidenfelds, N. Part of our DNA”: Intergenerational family learning in informal science. International Journal of STEM Education, DOI: 10.1080/21548455.2022.2099032.
      • Freidenfelds, N.A., Cisneros, L.M., Cabaniss, A.D., Colby, R., Meadows-McDonnell, M., Kumar Singh, A., Arnold, C., Campbell, T., Chadwick, C., Dickson, D., Moss, D.M., Simmons, J., & Volin, J.C. (2021) Pivoting during a pandemic: transforming in-person environmental STEM field programs into immersive, online experiential learning. Connected Science Learning. URL<https://www.nsta.org/connected-science-learning/connected-science-learning-march-april-2022/pivoting-during-pandemic>
      • Cisneros, L.M., Simmons, J., Campbell, T., Arnold, C., Chadwick, C., Dickson, D., Freidenfelds, N., Moss, D. & Volin, J. (2021) Program design principles to support teen-adult community conservation efforts. Frontiers in Education –STEM Education, 6, 674667.
      • Rodriguez, L., Campbell, T., Volin, J., Moss, D., Arnold, C., & Cisneros, L.M. (2021) Assessing STEM identities in intergenerational informal STEM programming. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 21, 680-712.
      • Freidenfelds, N.A., Cisneros, L.M., Cabaniss, A.D., Colby, R., Meadows-McDonnell, M., Kumar Singh, A., Arnold, C., Campbell, T., Chadwick, C., Dickson, D., Moss, D.M., Simmons, J., & Volin, J.C. (2021) Pivoting during a pandemic: transforming in-person environmental STEM field programs into immersive, online experiential learning. Connected Science Learning. URL<https://www.nsta.org/connected-science-learning/connected-science-learning-march-april-2022/pivoting-during-pandemic>
      • Park, B-Y., Campbell, T., Kelly, M., Gray, R., Arnold, C., Chadwick, C., Cisneros, L.M., Dickson, D., Moss, D., Rodriguez, L., Volin, J.C., & Willig, M.R. (2021) Improving NGSS focused model-based learning curriculum through the examination of students’ experiences and iterated models. Research in Science and Technological Education, URL<doi.org/10.1080/02635143.2021.1978962>.
      • Campbell, T., Rodriguez, L., Moss, D.M., Volin, J., Arnold, C., Cisneros, L.M., Chadwick, C., Dickson, D., Rubenstein, J.M. & Abebe, B. (2021) Intergenerational community conservation projects, STEM identity authoring, and positioning: the cases of two intergenerational teams. International Journal of Science Education, Part B: Communication and Public Engagement, 11, 174-190.
      • Freidenfelds, N.A., Cisneros, L.M., Rodriguez, L., Park, B-Y., Campbell, T., Arnold, C., Chadwick, C., Dickson, D., Moss, D., Volin, J.C., & Willig, M.R. (2020) Investigating human impact on local water resources & exploring solutions: Next Generation Science Standards-designed unit. American Biology Teacher, 82, 619–623.
      • Chadwick, C., Dickson, D., Arnold, A., Cisneros, L., Volin, J. Campbell, T., Moss, D. & Rodriguez, L. (2018) Connecting generations through informal geospatial and conservation education. Journal of Extension, 56, 5IAW2.

       

      Landscape Ecology Publications

      • Watling, J.I., Arroyo-Rodríguez, V., Pfeifer, M., Baeten, L., Banks-Leite, C., Cisneros, L.M., Fang, R., Hamel-Leigue, C., Lachat, T., Leal, I.R., Lens, L., Possingham, H.P., Raheem, D.C., Ribeiro, D.B., Slade, E.M., Urbina-Cardona, J.N., Wood, E.M. & Fahrig, L. (2020) Support for the habitat amount hypothesis from a global synthesis of species density studies. Ecology Letters, 23, 674–681.
      • Pfeifer, M., Lefebvre, V., Peres, C., Wearn, O.R., Marsh, C., Banks-Leite, C., Butchart, S.H.M., Arroyo-Rodríguez, V., Barlow, J., Cerezo, A., Cisneros, L.M., D’Cruze, N., Fariah, D., Hadley, A., Klingbeil, B.T., Kormann, U., Lens, L., Medina-Rangel, G.F., Morante-Filho, J.C., Olivier, P., Peters, S., Pidgeon, A., Ribeiro, D.B., Scherber, C., Schneider-Maunory, L., Struebig, M., Urbina-Cardona, N., Watling, J.I., Willig, M.R., Wood, E.M. & Ewers, R.M. (2017) Creation of forest edges has a global impact on forest vertebrates. Nature, 551, 187–191.
      • Cisneros, L.M., Fagan, M.E. & Willig, M.R. (2016) Environmental and spatial drivers of taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic characteristics of bat communities in a human-modified landscape. PeerJ, 4, e2551.
      • Cisneros, L.M., Fagan, M.E. & Willig, M.R. (2015) Effects of human-modified landscapes on taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic dimensions of bat biodiversity. Diversity and Distributions, 21, 523–533.
      • Cisneros, L.M., Fagan, M.E. & Willig, M.R. (2015) Season-specific and guild-specific effects of anthropogenic landscape modification on metacommunity structure of tropical bats. Journal of Animal Ecology, 84, 373–385.