Our Tiny Earth Program Manager, Laura Langley, who has been with Tiny Earth since 2023, will be transitioning to a new role as the Departmental Administrator for the University of Wisconsin–Superior Music Department in August.
Laura was originally introduced to Tiny Earth in 2019 when she started as Tiny Earth Founder Jo Handelsman’s Executive Assistant at the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery. Through working with Jo, Laura learned about the Tiny Earth project.
In 2023, Laura was hired as the Tiny Earth Project Manager. Her primary role was to launch a Department of Education grant focused on expanding Tiny Earth within Wisconsin and at minority-serving institutions.
“I grew up in Wisconsin,” Laura said. “I know Wisconsin, and I got to find all of these new TEPIs to add to the network.” Thanks to Laura’s efforts, 176 new TEPIs were trained at seven TEPI Trainings over the three years of the grant, including 20 new Wisconsinite TEPIs.
Tiny Earth Executive Director Sarah Miller said, “Laura was utterly dogged in recruiting new Tiny Earth instructors in Wisconsin. Now we have trained TEPIs at 44 colleges around the state.”
Wearing many hats, Laura has played the lead role coordinating the major symposiums hosted by the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay, as well as project managing multiple TEPI Trainings domestically and internationally, including two new training programs in Canada and India. Laura provided logistical support before, during, and after trainings to ensure they run smoothly.
Laura streamlined multiple network processes, including the application and onboarding processes for new TEPIs, preparation for TEPI Trainings, and operations for Tiny Earth Symposiums.
“The TEPIs absolutely love working with Laura,” Sarah said. “I can’t tell you how many times someone commented that they not only appreciate Laura’s organization, they actively adapt and use her management tools in their own work.”
“My favorite part of working with Tiny Earth is getting to interact with people from all over the world,” Laura said. “I love that I’ve gotten to meet so many instructors in the network who are all passionate about teaching Tiny Earth and teaching students in different ways.”
During her time at Tiny Earth, Laura worked remotely from Duluth, Minnesota, something she saw as a benefit for the network. “Being online allows people to be engaged from anywhere, which is critical for reaching instructors and students in a network that spans 33 countries,” Laura said.
Laura also contributed significantly to the launch of a federally-funded research project to develop a new video-based curriculum designed to support Tiny Earth students, providing project management and coordinating video production.
“My role as a project manager often lets me work behind the scenes to keep the pieces of a project or event moving smoothly from early planning through final execution,” Laura said. “I connect people, tasks, and timelines so the whole effort stays coordinated and on track for success.”
“It’s these experiences that have taught me more about working in higher education and event coordination that give me confidence moving into my new role,” Laura said.
In August, Laura will be transitioning to a new role in the Music Department at the University of Wisconsin–Superior as the Assistant to the Chair. She will be responsible for coordinating 40 music performances and supporting students and faculty in the department.
We would like to share our gratitude from Tiny Earth for the endless dedication and knowledge Laura has shared with the headquarters team and the network.
Congratulations on the next step in your career, Laura, a little closer to home!
By Abigail Bures
Tiny Earth Communications and Media Intern
Abigail is a journalism student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a focus on feature storytelling and digital media content. She has written for campus media during all three years of her time at UW-Madison and has built skills in storytelling, content strategy, and audience engagement. At Tiny Earth, she works to distill information into accurate and accessible narratives to support science communication and network knowledge.
