Laura Lane
Senior
Aztec High School
Aztec, New Mexico
The Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation and the American Farm Bureau Federation are honored to have awarded the achievements of the 2011 $5,000 Agriscience Student’s Award Columbus Scholar.
Laura is a 2011 high school graduate. Following graduation she relocated to Las Cruses where she works at New Mexico State University with the Ecology and Nematology department through an REU grant that employs undergraduate students.
Her love of science inspired her project to tackle indicators of soil ecosystem health for Oil and Gas reclamation. One out of every three abandoned wellsites does not reestablish plant biodiversity, leaving thousands of acres of undesirable soil that cannot support grazing. Her four years of research took her to the International Science and Engineering Fair three times; most recently she received a grand prize award of third in the category of Environmental Management.
Laura worked with Habitat for Humanity, and last summer went to Guatemala on a build. In the Fall she plans to attend New Mexico Tech to study Pre-Medical; and major in Biochemistry or Chemical Engineering. After her undergraduate studies, her dream is to attend Medical school and become a trauma doctor.
The Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation is honored to have had the assistance of the following distinguished individuals serving on the 2011 Agriscience Awards Evaluation Committee:
- Robert W. Clark, Ph.D.
Professional Personnel Development Center
Workforce Education & Development Program
Penn State University
University Park, Pennsylvania - Gary Matteson
VP Young, Beginning, Small Farmer
Programs and Outreach
The Farm Credit Council
Washington, D.C. - Meghan Mueseler
Cargill, Inc.
Wichita, Kansas - Pat Earle
Instructor
McBee High School
McBee, South Carolina
