Alexandra Dingle

Hi everyone! I am a rising sophomore at Tufts University in Boston, studying biology and environmental science. I am originally from Cape Town, South Africa, and attended high school in Louisiana. For my research summer, I am working in Tanzania as a part of a coral restoration project, conducting my own experiment to identify which coral species will be most resilient during this year's upcoming El Niño event with rising sea temperatures. I will also be exploring how to make the coral gardening process more cost-effective and accessible to coastal East African fishing communities. 

Hi there! I’m Nicolly, an undergraduate student from Brazil studying International Relations and Child Studies at Tufts University. I’m passionate about humanitarian work, education policy, and the non-profit sector. Feel free to reach out if you’d like to connect or chat!

Hello! My name is Lena and I'm a rising Junior at Tufts University. I am double-majoring in biology and community health and I am passionate about health equity and primary care. For my first Laidlaw summer I will be conducting qualitative research on respiratory health in a nearby Latinx community. Feel free to contact me through My LinkedIn Profile if you have similar interests or want to chat!

Hello! I’m a psychology researcher and the founder of HaHaHelps, a comedy-based psychosocial programme designed to support young people in residential care. I am currently completing an MSocSci in Psychology at the University of Cape Town, where my dissertation examines the feasibility of HaHaHelps with adolescents in South African child and youth care centres. My broader interests include youth mental health, psychosocial intervention development, implementation, participatory approaches, and the use of humour and play to support connection, emotional expression, self-efficacy, and coping with uncertainty. HaHaHelps grew out of my Laidlaw Leadership-in-Action project at SOS Children’s Villages in Cape Town, where I designed and facilitated an improv-comedy programme for adolescents. Since then, I have continued developing and delivering the programme with young people in residential care and am now studying how it can be refined, evaluated, and ultimately adapted for use in other communities and settings. Before this, my Laidlaw research at the University of Toronto examined relationships between childhood adversity, aggression, and self-regulation. I’d love to connect with other Laidlaw Scholars and alumni interested in youth mental health, social impact, intervention development, social entrepreneurship, or simply finding creative ways to turn research into something useful in the world.

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! 

Research and Academic Administration

Hi👋🏾 I’m Pearls I am a final year Law student at the University of Leeds. I recently completed a placement year at The Walt Disney Company as a CPGP Contract Management Intern (hence the 'industrial' next to my degree title) My first-year research project looked at the way game-based learning could be incorporated into Multi-Academy Trusts (aka MATs) to improve the academic attainment and classroom engagement of GCSE-year black students. My Leadership-in-Action project was with MakeSense and focused on empowering minority communities within Mexico City.

Hello everyone, my name is Cesar Urzua and I am a current sophomore at Tufts University studying Biology and Child Study and Human Development. I am very excited to be a part of the Laidlaw Scholars Program and hope to be able to talk with so many other scholars soon. For my research, I will be focusing on brain response when presented to adverse childhood experiences, and how to possibly develop optimal strategies to combat chronic neural perturbations following these adverse childhood experiences. 

Hi there! My name is Angel (she/her/hers), and I'm first-year and a native New York City resident studying Neuroscience and Behavior. I'm passionate about all things STEM and medicine, and I hope to learn more through research over the next few years. When I'm not in the lab or having my nose stuck in a book, you can find me listening to music, volunteering, exploring the city, and baking too much!

Hi all, my name is Zachary Ferretti! I am a senior at Tufts University, pursuing a major in Political Science as well as a double minor in Economics and Urban Studies. My independent research takes a sorely needed look at the 1,4-dioxane water crisis on Long Island, New York. For my leadership-in-action project, I spent the summer in Mexico City, building strategies for environmental resilience and mobilizing urban communities to address issues of climate change. I am always looking to exchange leadership tips and continue stengthening my relationships across the Laidlaw Network. I love meeting new people, so please don't hesitate to ever reach out!

I am an aspiring Clinical Psychologist, a second-year Psychology student at Tufts University, and a devotee of the arts. My interests consist of aiding in the destigmatization and reformation of mental health within Black and Brown communities. Another passion of mine is fighting for the prevention of child abuse as I continue to intern with Masskids, the Prevent Child Abuse chapter of Massachusetts. As a Laidlaw Scholar, my research coincides with my interests as I focus on how stereotypes, misrepresentation, and instances of erasure within the media impacts the socio-emotional and mental health of adolescents. The goal of this research is to further understand the problem then understand and navigate solutions. I hope to work with non-profits and other initiatives in the fight for mental health in underrepresented communities and would love to be contacted in support of these efforts.

Hello all! My name is Shubhecchha Dhaurali (pronounced Sue-betcha Dur-all-e). I am a first-generation student originally from Nepal double-majoring in Community Health and Biology at Tufts University. My research is housed in the Tufts University School of Medicine with Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha who is an Associate Professor and Assistant Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Medical School's Department of Community Health & Medicine. 

Hi! My name is Bryley (she/her), and I am a second-year student at Columbia University. I study History, and I am deeply interested in memory, religion, and the preservation and adaptation of culture. As a Laidlaw Scholar, I am researching Khmer Buddhist revival in post-genocide Cambodia, looking especially at how social, spiritual, and moral orders were and are intertwined in processes of reconstruction.

Hi fellow scholars! My name is Mindy Duggan and I am recent Tufts alum. My Laidlaw research was on autism representation in the hit television show The Good Doctor.  During my free time, I love to volunteer with kids— especially children with disabilities. I also love escaping to nature, camping, and trying hole-in-the-wall food places :) Feel free to reach out if you ever want to connect!