Dr. Laura Carson
Prairie View A&M University
lecarson@pvamu.edu

Over the past eighteen years, Dr. Laura Carson’s passion for working closely with undergraduate students in research remains firm and continues to grow stronger with each student. The success of the students, who she has mentored and advised, provides fuel for this passion continually. In her research lab, students learn to think critically and analytically as they perform hypothesis-driven research. As they move on to the next stages of their academic careers, to medical school, graduate school or even to the workforce, Dr. Carson’s students prove over and over again, that Prairie View produces productive people. Currently, Dr. Carson’s research group is composed of four undergraduate students, one research assistant and one research specialist. She has published numerous abstracts and papers with undergraduates in peer reviewed journals.

Dr. Carson’s research focuses on the modifications of existing biodegradable polymer systems. These systems are modified, then thermally and chemically characterized before students investigate the polymers’ impact in agriculture. Specifically, recent studies have shown that biodegradable systems have potential uses in agriculture. Thus, Dr. Carson’s lab has been involved in microbial growth studies as well as plant growth studies.

Now, in her role as Assistant Director for Compliance, Undergraduate Research and Student Success, Dr. Carson’s daily routine has changed tremendously. She enjoys working with the administration in developing policy to assist in the daily operations of the College of Agriculture and Human Sciences. New challenges occur every day, but in her new role, Dr. Carson especially looks forward to assisting students in making important decisions about their career paths.