Deborah Lawrence is an Associate Professor at the University of Virginia. She has conducted research in Mexico, Costa Rica and Indonesia, focusing on the ecological consequences of land-use change for tropical ecosystems. Currently, she is interested in the social, political, and environmental implications of palm oil. From 2009-2010, Lawrence worked in the Climate Office of the US Department of State on REDD as a Jefferson Science Fellow. She is currently a Guggenheim Fellow and a visiting scientist at CIFOR.