Laura Kloepper is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, Indiana, where she leads the Kloepper Laboratory of Bioacoustics and Animal Behavior. Her research focuses on acoustic sensory ecology: how animals use sound to explore their environment. Her principal research investigates how bats in massive swarms use their sonar and flight behavior to navigate in three dimensions, and she spends a large portion of her summers at bat caves, knee-deep in guano, with hundreds of thousands of bats flying overhead. Additional projects include echolocation in dolphins, the acoustic behavior of shrews, and soundscape ecology. Dr. Kloepper has received a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellowship and an Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award.
Dr. Kloepper enjoys the responsibilities of mentoring students and maintains a large, interdisciplinary, cross-institution research laboratory of undergraduate and graduate students. Since joining the faculty at Saint Mary's College in 2015, she has mentored 30 undergraduate researchers, one postdoc, 2 research assistants, and co-advised 2 graduate students. As a professor at an all-female PUI, Dr. Kloepper is particularly passionate about involving underrepresented students in authentic research experiences and currently serves as faculty sponsor for her institution's SACNAS chapter.
Dr. Kloepper is a strong advocate for science communication and currently serves at the Chair of the Public Relations Committee for the Acoustical Society of America. She believes in engaging directly with the public about research and the role of science in policy, and enjoys opportunities to speak publicly. As a former high school biology teacher, Dr. Kloepper also promotes the connection of students with scientists and encourages hands-on research at all academic levels.
Contact: laura.kloepper@gmail.com
Twitter: @ProfLKloepper
Dr. Kloepper enjoys the responsibilities of mentoring students and maintains a large, interdisciplinary, cross-institution research laboratory of undergraduate and graduate students. Since joining the faculty at Saint Mary's College in 2015, she has mentored 30 undergraduate researchers, one postdoc, 2 research assistants, and co-advised 2 graduate students. As a professor at an all-female PUI, Dr. Kloepper is particularly passionate about involving underrepresented students in authentic research experiences and currently serves as faculty sponsor for her institution's SACNAS chapter.
Dr. Kloepper is a strong advocate for science communication and currently serves at the Chair of the Public Relations Committee for the Acoustical Society of America. She believes in engaging directly with the public about research and the role of science in policy, and enjoys opportunities to speak publicly. As a former high school biology teacher, Dr. Kloepper also promotes the connection of students with scientists and encourages hands-on research at all academic levels.
Contact: laura.kloepper@gmail.com
Twitter: @ProfLKloepper