This is so cool, Arjun! I feel like your project is especially prevalent not only to New York City but also to other areas across the U.S. For example, my hometown is in Tennessee, where the youth proficiency rate in reading is under 30%. Thus far, Tennessee politicians have tried to tackle this problem through unproductive methods (like the Tennessee Third Grade Retention Law) that have largely harmed under-resourced communities. Needless to say, I think the implications of your project are immensely important, and I can't wait to see what you do with it in the future!

I really resonated with your discussion about isolating research goals. When I wrote my literature review about gold nanoparticles in cancer therapies, I originally had the topic of contemporary treatments for cancer therapies, in which I realized that there were far too many papers to feasibly write my literature review within a year to two year period. I'm also happy to see that you focused more on the "why" behind your research; I feel like a lot of us forget this question especially when we get sucked into our research (especially in STEM).

Also, if you are ever in NoCo, please come visit on the 13th floor; the view is awesome!

I think it's really interesting and important how you investigate the underexplored topic of masculinity. Especially in a world in which we are still fighting for equal rights in gender, I think that the role healthy masculinity plays in that fight is increasingly prevalent. Either way, I'm really excited to seeing how your project pans out, and I'm also really glad to hear that this will become a long-term project that you'll focus more in depth on.

I find the ethical question that you presented on the differentiation of care between migrant and natural-born citizens particularly interesting, especially since I think this is also a problem within the United States as well. Though I know your project focuses on the UK, I think it's interesting how these problems that you raise within your research can also be applied to immigrants across Western countries. There seems to be a general lack of accessibility and prioritization when it comes to public health in the "Global North".

Super excited to see how your research goes!

I definitely agree with your perspective that meaningful work in any field is never done in isolation. Even in my heavy-science polymer chemistry lab right now, I find a lot of connections between the reviews I read and the humanities-based readings I had annotated in UW: Climate Humanities. Understanding my work as a polymer chemist also necessitates understanding the humanities-based aspects of the implications of my work. Though my work in the lab contributes to helping the environment, it is definitely not enough, and this knowledge pushes me to look outside of the narrow scope of my project into more solutions for climate-based problems.

I also really empathize with narrowing your research question. Currently, I have two or three main components to my research question (lol) that I will need to (somehow) condense into a more narrower question that targets one part of the problem the synthesis is attempting to amend.

As someone from a more STEM-based research perspective, I really resonate with leaving behind the "driver" mentality and leading from behind. I feel like there is a lot of value in taking a more analytical and amiable approach to research in the summer, coming at the projects from a place of curiosity rather than assertion. I originally thought that only the STEM Laidlaw researchers would have to "lead from the sidelines," but after reading your post, I find it really interesting how humanities researchers will also practice leading from behind this summer. I also find your project to be generally very interesting, and I am really looking forward to how you approach and apply the historical lens to the modern day. Overall, really excited for your project!