Matthew LaPlante

Matthew D. LaPlante, PhD, teaches journalism, science communication, and climate adaptation science at Utah State University. He is the author of Superlative: The Biology of Extremes and the co-writer of Lifespan: Why We Age—and Why We Don’t Have To with Dr. David Sinclair.

As a journalist, Matthew has covered insurgent warfare in the Middle East, gang violence in Central America, ritual infanticide in Africa, the legacy of genocide in Eastern Asia, and ecological collapse in North America for news organizations including CNN, The Washington Post, and The Los Angeles Daily News. He is the host of UnDisciplined, a program about research and discovery on Utah Public Radio. His journalistic work has been recognized with the Kavli Award for science journalism and the Ancil Payne Award for ethics in reporting.

Matthew’s scholarly efforts are focused on climate prediction, applied agriculture, and translational research. His work has been published in journals including Science Advances, Atmospheric Research, and Environmental Research Letters. He is the manager of an aspen syrup research farm in Brighton, Utah. In 2025, he was an Early Career Research recipient of the National Academies Schmidt Award for Science Communication.

Matthew’s latest hobby project was the first successful electric conversion of a 1969 Ford Mustang, turning the classic muscle car into an EV with a 0-to-60 time of under 4 seconds. He is also the co-owner of 1833, a zero-proof craft cocktail lounge in Salt Lake City serving the growing movement of people who are choosing to drink less alcohol.