Hi everyone! I am Muskaan, a Laidlaw Scholar from Duke University, and a proud member of the class of 2028. Currently, I am studying Chemistry with minors in Computational Biology and Spanish. I am from Dubai, and spent my childhood growing up in the Middle East. I love learning languages, trying new foods, and spending time outdoors!
I am interested in global health, biochemistry and public policy and particularly how they all intersect! In a world that hosts a multitude of problems, which are often multi-faceted and complex, a call for interdisciplinary, open-minded thinking becomes all the more pertinent. Therefore, it is my goal to bring my views and values to the table, and to encourage others to view challenges through different lenses. Diversity in thinking is essential not only for developing more innovative solutions, but also for ensuring that those solutions are equitable, inclusive, and responsive to the communities they are intended to serve.
Hi, I'm Anushka, a third-year at Duke University studying chemistry, medical sociology, and global health. I'm passionate about leveraging scientific techniques in order to advance health equity, especially for rural and underserved populations.
My Laidlaw research at the University of Leeds' Department for Nuclear and Chemical Engineering is about addressing the public health challenge of fluoride-contaminated drinking water in Tanzania by developing a novel, sustainable ion-exchange model to selectively remove fluoride from groundwater.
Hello there!
I'm a history major at Columbia University. I spent 14 years as a border-crossing student, living in mainland China and commuting to Hong Kong every day. I spent my high school years in Houston, Texas. My primary focus is transnational Asian history, though I am also broadly interested in philosophy, IR, and political theory.
I spent my freshman year at Rice and transferred to Columbia as a sophomore. I'm currently a rising junior.
I speak English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. I am currently unsuccessfully acquiring Japanese and French.
I am the Senior Program Coordinator with Duke University's Hart Leadership Program, which supports the Laidlaw Scholars Program and several other undergraduate experiential learning programs. In May 2024, I completed my doctorate in the Study of Religion at Harvard University with a focus in contemporary Islamic studies and American religions. My dissertation work examined the shape and impact of U.S. Muslim civic organizations and community organizing in the city of Detroit. I also hold a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School and a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies from Appalachian State University (go Mountaineers!). My studies have been driven by a deep interest in the intersections of religion and civic life in the contemporary U.S. To that end, I've worked as a researcher for the Listening to Women about Abortion & Religion Project, a Religion, Spirituality, and Democratic Renewal Fellow with the Social Science Research Council, and an adjunct professor at Stonehill College. In my role with Hart Leadership Program, I engage my training as a researcher, educator, and program builder to provide strong student support and advance community-engaged scholarship and education. Whether you're a Duke student or a Laidlaw Scholar at another institution, I'd be happy to connect and talk about social science research design and methods, religious studies and anthropology, applying to and navigating graduate school, or putting together strong research grant and fellowship proposals.