Veronique LaCapra

Director of Special Projects for Advancement, Advancement

I'm a writer, editor, and multimedia producer--with a PhD in biogeochemistry. I've always had a strong interest in both writing and the natural world, as evidenced by my first poem, about a trilobite, when I was six years old. After undergrad at Cornell (dual major in ecology and environmental policy) and grad school at UCSB (with two years of field work in the Brazilian Pantanal wetland), I worked as a pesticide regulator for the U.S. EPA in Washington; and then a science reporter at the local NPR station in St. Louis--while freelancing for national NPR and the Voice of America. I joined WHOI's communications department in 2016, then moved over to Fenno to work for VP Sam Harp when he came to WHOI in 2018. I've lived in France, Brazil, and South Africa, and I speak French (well) and Portuguese (pretty well), and I can fumble along in Spanish. I identify as gay and nonbinary/female, and I do what I can to try to make WHOI a more welcoming, inclusive, and equitable place. I've served as the chair of the Women's Committee, and I'm currently a member of the Committee for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. When I'm not working, I love to get outdoors--on or in the water, or hiking with my sweetheart of a dog (and frequent Fenno visitor), Bella. Welcome to WHOI--and please get in touch!

Contact: email me at vlacapra@whoi.edu