Dr. Laurie Thorp

Biography

Laurie Thorp is the director of the Residential Initiative Study of Environment in the Department of Community Sustainability at Michigan State University. She holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural Education from Texas A&M University. Her doctoral research focused on the cultural and educational implications of schoolyard gardens within the Lansing School District, which became the subject of her 2005 book, 'Pulling the Earth' published by Altamira Press. Thorp has co-investigated a $625K grant from the Department of Education aimed at assessing student learning in sustainability competencies through experiential education. Additionally, she has served as the technical team leader for the Environmental Stewardship Systems Team under the Vice President of Finance Operations at MSU, contributing to behavioral research related to strategic change initiatives for campus sustainability. Thorp is also one of the founders of the MSU Student Organic Farm and has collaborated over the past four years with colleagues from various departments including Animal Science, Philosophy, and Sociology to study sustainable pork production and student ethical development. Her work has appeared in several academic journals such as 'Qualitative Inquiry,' 'Agriculture and Human Values,' and the 'International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education.' She is passionate about mentoring undergraduate students on their journey of self-discovery as they identify their life work.

Research Interests