Laurie C.

About Laurie C.

My rich and diverse career has taken me from being a journalist, author, and radio news anchor to launching Oprah\'s satellite radio channel, to working as a communications strategist at NASA—and now to giving back as a volunteer in my home of Tucson, Arizona. I’m passionate about saving lives in the Arizona borderlands and preserving the beautify and biodiversity of the Sky Islands. Bearing witness and countering disinformation are important to me. In addition to leading the talented staff and volunteers of Humane Borders, I\'m a public speaker and I manage the Humane Borders website and social media. Fun facts: I’m the co-author of a Simon & Schuster bestseller about ways to honor and teach gifted children. While at NASA, I was the first human to spot Pluto’s and there’s an asteroid named after me.I\'m the mother of four amazing adults, including an adopted daughter. I\'m a champion of \"adopt, don\'t shop,\" as the dog mom of two senior rescue dogs.

Experience

1. Chairman of the Board

   Humane Borders Inc

   Jan 2022 — Present · Tucson, AZ, US

   I\'m grateful to work with a team of dedicated volunteer humanitarians to prevent migrant deaths in southern Arizona from dehydration and exposure. These deaths have been occurring at a rate of ~200/year in Arizona alone.• We maintain dozens of permitted water stations in Arizona\'s Sonoran Desert, providing clean drinking water and saving lives. We\'re a Pima County contractor and our water is for all.• Partner with the Pima County Medical Examiner to create interactive migrant death maps, which inform policy makers, partner organizations, and the public about the scope of the human tragedy in the borderlands. Post death maps in shelters in Northern Mexico to warn people about the dangers of crossing the desert. • Support humane treatment of asylum seekers and policy changes to create a more humane border. Educate the public about humanitarian needs at the border from a nonpartisan, boots-on-the-ground perspective. Lead special trips for faith groups, researchers, and student groups. We collaborated with Doctors Without Borders to address medical needs at the border in 2023-24. In 2025, we sponsored a two-day Wilderness First Aid training workshop for southern Arizona humanitarians. • Support shelters in northern Mexico* Manage strategic communications and media, website, and social media accounts (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Threads)

Education

• University of Colorado Boulder

  Bachelor of Science (B.S.)