LaReesa Wolfenbarger

Biography

Dr. L. LaReesa Wolfenbarger is Dean of the College of Sciences and Arts at Michigan Technological University. 

Prior to joining Michigan Tech in July 2024, Wolfenbarger served as Associate Dean of Natural Sciences and Research (2020-2024) and Chair of the Department of Biology (2016-2021) at University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO). As a faculty member in Biology at UNO (2004-2020), she taught freshmen courses in Introductory Biology for majors and Environmental Problems and Solutions and upper level and graduate courses in Conservation Biology. Her research has focused on collaborative studies with governmental and non-governmental conservation organizations on land management for shorebird and grassland avian species of conservation concern. 

Working at the Environmental Protection Agency for two and a half years altered the trajectory of Wolfenbarger’s research from basic science to scientific collaborations and close partnerships with policymakers and decision makers. In addition to international recognition for her expertise on shorebirds of conservation concern, she is an international expert on ecological impacts of genetically engineered organisms. Honors and awards include Fulbright Research Scholar with the Center for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis at University of Oslo; panelist on two National Research Council committees for the National Academies; American Association for the Advancement of Sciences (AAAS) Science Policy Fellow (1999-2001); and National Science Foundation/AP Sloan Foundation postdoctoral fellow (1996-1998).

Wolfenbarger received a Ph.D. in Neurobiology and Behavior from Cornell University and a B.S. in Biology from University of California at Los Angeles. As a first-generation college graduate, Wolfenbarger is passionate about helping students to access the opportunities provided by higher education and to succeed in their academic and career goals.

Expertise and Research Interests

Wolfenbarger’s research interests, which have shifted over the course of her career, include: 

• Systematic ecological reviews for policy and decision makers (1999-present).
• Effects of land management on species of conservation concern (2001-present).
• Ecological impacts of genetically engineered organisms (1999-2015).
• Evolution of sexual dimorphism (1989-1999).