Laura Roberts is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Integrative and Global Studies department at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Director of the Worcester Community Project Center (WCPC). The WCPC is one of 50+ WPI project centers around the world, where students engage in hands-on, community-based research projects exploring topics situated at the intersection of society and technology. In this role, Professor Roberts facilitates global learning opportunities with local community organizations where students investigate pressing global issues without stepping on a plane. Prior to joining WPI, she worked in the nonprofit sector with organizations addressing health equity, food insecurity, and educational access.  As a practitioner turned academic, Professor Roberts brings unique perspectives and experience from the field to her classroom and students’ field experiences. 

Laura serves as the faculty advisor for the WPI Food Recovery Network, a student club dedicated to recovering perishable food from campus dining halls for use at a local shelter. She earned her BS from the University of Connecticut where she studied social policy and human development, a MPA from Seton Hall University with a concentration in nonprofit management, and a MEd from Eastern Nazarene College.  When she is not on campus, Laura volunteers with local refugee resettlement efforts, the United Way Women's Initiative, and enjoys skiing and travel with her family.