Avery Erlenbach is a first-year student at Duke University from Charlotte, North Carolina who is planning to study physics, math, and public policy. Avery is particularly fascinated by astrophysics and science communication with a focus on expanding access to STEM and exploring equitable pathways to improve public science outreach. In her hometown, Avery worked with local schools to organize hands-on events, operated a community observatory to educate visitors, spearheaded science fairs, and led eclipse and night-sky observations for young students. At Duke, she builds on this experience as Outreach Coordinator for the Stargazing Devils Astronomy Club and the Society of Physics Students, coordinating astronomy and physics outreach in the Durham community. As a Laidlaw Scholar, Avery is excited to further her exploration of how effective science communication can transform communities both locally and globally. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, baking, and crocheting.
I am a first-year student at Duke University from San Francisco, intending to pursue a double major in Public Policy and Computer Science with a minor in Tech Policy. In my first year at Duke, I participated in the Implications of Artificial Intelligence Focus cluster, which has shaped my research interests in problems at the intersection of technology, policy, and philosophy. As a pianist and composer, I am currently developing my compositional practice and studying the ethical questions that surround computational creativity and machine intelligence in the arts. Outside of the classroom, I compete for the Duke Men’s Club Basketball team and serve as a piano mentor and a member of the leadership team for Duke’s Musical Empowerment chapter.
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.
Amylyn De Paz-De Paz is a student from western North Carolina and the daughter of immigrant pastors who instilled in her a deep commitment to service. From a young age, she has supported her community and led initiatives to expand access to education via tutoring programs, interpreting, and programming. At Duke University, she continues this work through her involvement with DukeEngage, Bass Connections, Duke Campus Farm, LangDorm, HelpDesk, Duke RAM, InventHers, Duke Mi Gente, and other programs. She is also a Coleman Family Ventures Fellow, an experience she is especially grateful for as it has allowed her to further develop her passion for a career in pediatrics and language access in healthcare settings.
For Amylyn, Duke and the Laidlaw Scholars program are catalysts for meaningful impact in the communities she cares about. She is proud to represent individuals who share her identity and experiences. To learn more about Amylyn’s journey, explore Duke’s premier student blog, “Trinity in Four Acts,” which follows her path throughout Duke and beyond.
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 Presto, a second-year Environmental Science student at the University of Leeds. I am still immersing myself in different disciplines of Environmental Science, such as Hydrology, Ecology, Geology, Meteorology, Oceanography, etc... but my self-defined research project stemmed from my upbringing in Myanmar. Coming from Mandalay, Myanmar, I had been exposed to political conflict driving multiple humanitarian crises, including internal and external displacement, inflation, and human rights violations. However, my interest lies in how armed conflict can quietly accelerate environmental degradation, a relationship that remains poorly quantified in Myanmar. My research is a spatiotemporal analysis to examine the impacts on the environment in Central Myanmar between 2020 and 2024, and to explore if these changes intersect with escalations of armed conflict patterns. Outside my academic pursuits, I feel at home practising music, from songwriting, playing instruments, to singing. I try to be an inspired and creative person by travelling. I'd love to connect with fellow Laidlaw scholars.