A Texas native, Lauren works at the state and local levels to effect change by bridging the gap between science and policy, and traditionally siloed movements in affordable housing, environmental health, and animal welfare. Lauren graduated with honors from the University of Texas School of Law and is a licensed attorney in Texas. Before joining The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), Lauren served as a Staff Attorney and Advocacy Co-Director at Texas Housers, a civil rights and affordable housing nonprofit in Austin, Texas. She practiced environmental justice and affordable housing law in partnership with low-income communities across the state and advocated for stronger affordable housing policies at the state level. Prior to attending law school, Lauren was an aquatic biologist in Central Texas where she studied the endangered Comal Springs riffle beetle, endemic to the Edward’s Aquifer. She holds a M.S. in Aquatic Resources from Texas State University and a B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology from Mizzou-(rah!). In her free time Lauren is an avid vegan cook and loves to hike and camp with her two pups, Daffodil and Ranger.