Team

Elise Laugier is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environment and Society at Utah State University. She is an archaeological scientist studying long-term human-environment interactions in dryland landscapes with research interests in agro-pastoral practice, land-use legacies and landscape change, historical ecology, and remote sensing. Her research bridges the archaeological past and recent land-use change to strengthen archaeological inference in Mesopotamia, connect cultural and botanical heritage, and address broader questions of resilience in dryland regions.  Her Ph.D. is from Dartmouth College in Ecology, Evolution, Environment, & Society (EEES). Prior to joining USU, she was an NSF SBE Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Rutgers University.  

Sydnee Jensen is a master’s student in the Environment and Society Department at USU. Sydnee’s master's thesis focuses on the impact of AI use on the environment as well as human well-being. She graduated from USU in the Spring of 2025 with a dual bachelor’s in Environmental Studies and Anthropology. Additionally, she is a member of the tenth cohort in the Climate Adaptation Science Program at USU. Alongside her cohort, she plans to create a Climate Assessment Report for Cache County, influenced by the Southwestern Region Chapter of the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6). In her free time, Sydnee enjoys spending time outdoors, going to the movies, and reading.

Sydnee's email: sydneeDOTJensenATusuDOTedu

Ellie is a master’s student in Environment & Society, with interests in archaeological sciences and technology, including geoarchaeology, paleoethnobotany, and geospatial approaches. She graduated in 2024 from Wheaton College with a B.A. in Archaeology, before working a year on the East Coast as a field technician in Cultural Resource Management, in both the lab and field. Outside of the lab, she enjoys learning new languages, learning new instruments, and exploring the outdoors. 

Ellie's email: ellieDOTstankiewiczATusuDOTedu