My name is Duncan Johnson and I'm the founder of BX Coding, a nonprofit dedicated to educating underserved K-12 students in the STEM fields. Over the past six years, I've taught hundreds of students the fundamentals of programming and engineering. I especially love teaching elementary school students -- their creativity and energy are boundless!  My Laidlaw research project is developing a curriculum that helps transition middle school students from block-based coding (Scratch) to text-based coding (Python).  This summer, I traveled to Nepal to work with the nonprofit Karkhana Samuha, where I taught students in public schools and created educational materials for students in grades 6-10. At Tufts University, I'm a Computer Science major, and I'm pursuing minors in Engineering Education and Entrepreneurship for Social Impact. 

I am a third-year student at Tufts University studying Community Health and Biology with a Minor in Urban Studies. In my first year as a Laidlaw Scholar, I worked with Dr. David Adler and Dr. Debra Lerner at Tufts Medical Center on a market analysis of clinical depression intervention services for employees.  My research projects have mostly focused on improving health access and resources for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This interest comes from my experiences as working a Direct Support Professional and teaching art classes for individuals with Down syndrome. In addition to researching behavioral health services and the neuroscience of Fragile X syndrome, I enjoy being an active community member and started a political engagement orientation program for first-year students at Tufts. My recreational interests include rock climbing and creating visual art (see some of my artwork here: schung.page).

I'm an undergraduate research scholar at Tufts University double majoring in Biopsychology and Child Studies & Human Development, with a love for theatre and other performing arts. Youth development is central to my work both within and outside the academic field: I've served children in environments as diverse as arts education, athletics, academic studies, and after-school care. In particular, my work as a researcher and educator with The Drama Studio (a drama education organization based in Springfield, MA, USA) and as director of Tufts' LCS Tutoring have demonstrated to me the value of individualized, creative education opportunities for autistic and other neurodiverse youth, whose needs and skills often aren't fully met in traditional schools. My passions for performing arts and for working with neurodiverse communities drive me to study arts education access for autistic students as a Laidlaw Scholar. Through my research, I hope to better understand where and how autistic students access various forms of arts education, as well as what accommodations support a positive arts education experience. Feel free to email me if you'd like to chat about what this data could accomplish, or about your own work!

Andrew Singleton has recently joined the Tufts-Laidlaw Undergraduate Research and Leadership Programme team as a Programme Administrator and is excited to continue to elevate the Laidlaw Programming for current and future scholars. He joined the programme from Venture Café, which connects and educates the entrepreneurial and innovation community in Boston through programs/spaces/events and many other cities around the world. He has a B.S. from MIT in Biology and a background in social-impact enterprises, wind-power, user-computer-interfaces, as well as computer network design. In his spare time, Andrew enjoys travel, hiking, and wildlife photography.

Hello! I'm Thomas, and I am a rising third-year student at Tufts University studying International Relations and Philosophy. This next year, however, I will be taking time to engage in my philosophy studies more specifically at the University of Tübingen in Germany. My academic interests generally span from history to metaethics, with practical and impactful implementation always foremost in mind. Please don't hesitate reach out if you have any interest, or are doing work, in similar fields! 

Laidlaw Scholar Alumna at Oxford University's Saïd Business School, I'm often found at the piano🎹, mesmerized in a theatre🎭, or painting away the night with friends🎨.  If our paths align in interests or work, why not connect? Ping me, and let's connect on LinkedIn.