As we launched our 2026 Laidlaw Summer this week, I appreciated the energy and excitement that you all brought to our meetings! In this first blog post, please respond to the below questions:
- What are you most excited about as you start your Laidlaw research summer?
- This week, the discussions we held about research cut across the disciplines. How does the interdisciplinary nature of this program, the fact that students are focusing on such a diverse range of projects, help you think about your project and/or your academic interests more broadly?
- As you begin your individual research projects this week, do you anticipate any challenges in getting started? If so, what are they?
- Optional! This week you moved into a new dorm room and met new friends, mentors, and research collaborators. Take a photograph of something (or someone) new and post!
Please answer these questions by creating a post of your own, and also respond to another student's post. In responding to another student’s post, find a student’s post that you find interesting. Scroll down to the bottom of the entry and hit “Leave a comment”. Leave your reply in the box provided.
Remember: you should post your own responses by Thursday evening. You should respond to another student’s response by Friday evening. I look forward to discussing your reflections when we next meet!
https://laidlawscholars.network/videos/watch-this-before-you-post-on-the-laidlaw-scholars-network
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What are you most excited about as you start your Laidlaw research summer?
I’m most excited about experiencing what research actually feels like beyond the classroom. My project connects mathematical optimization with food rescue, and I’m excited by the idea that tools like routing models and algorithms can help address a very real human problem: getting food to people who need it more efficiently.
How does the interdisciplinary nature of this program help you think about your project and/or academic interests more broadly?
Hearing about projects across different disciplines has reminded me that research is not only about technical skill, but also about asking better questions. Although my project is rooted in math and optimization, it also involves social impact, logistics, nonprofit work, and community needs. This has helped me see that I’m interested in work that combines abstract quantitative thinking with real-world problems.
Do you anticipate any challenges in getting started? If so, what are they?
One challenge is figuring out where to begin, since vehicle routing is a large field with a long research history. I also anticipate the challenge of balancing theory and application: I want the project to be mathematically meaningful, but also practical for food rescue organizations. I’m excited to learn how to work through that uncertainty as part of becoming a better researcher.