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.

Hello! My name is Lauren Suh and I am a rising sophomore at Columbia University from San Diego, California. I am majoring in Neuroscience and Behavior on the pre-medical track and plan to minor in Music (I play the flute!). This summer, I will be working at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center under the supervision of Dr. Yousin Suh. My research project delves into ovarian aging, a critical marker of systemic body aging as one of the first organs to exhibit signs of aging. I will be researching whether DNA Helicase B, or HELB, delays or impacts ovarian aging.  I love yoga, running, thrifting, and baking! I am hoping to learn pottery this summer, so please reach out if you would like to join! 

I am interested in the 1960s-70s prisoners' rights movement. In the past, I spent significant time researching the Attica Prison Uprising, the deadliest prison rebellion in the United States. Prison writing was a defining mobilizing force for the incarcerated people at Attica, and I am eager to delve into prison autobiographies in particular this summer as a progressive art form that has challenged literary expectations and engendered a collective voice of incarceration. Outside of research, I am heavily involved in advocacy and volunteering related to criminal justice.

Hello! I’m a first-year undergraduate piano student with a passion for teaching and a growing curiosity about how education systems shape the way we learn music. Right now, I’m researching piano pedagogy in the context of China’s entrance exam system—something that blends my love for music with my interest in social structures and policy. If you want to get to know me, find me at the climbing gym, doing CrossFit, or out for a run with my dog. I’m always excited to meet people who would love to discuss education, music/piano, dogs and anything else that you can think of!

Hi! My name is Izzy and I am a rising sophomore at Columbia University studying Neuroscience and Behavior on a pre-medical track, aspiring to become an emergency room physician or trauma surgeon in the future. Within the last year, I earned my EMT certification and have been involved in various clubs and volunteer activities on and off campus, but am definitely looking for more ways to help the community! I am very excited to be a part of the Laidlaw program and spend the summer in New York. Out of school, I love playing soccer, listening to music, and trying new foods/drinks around the city :) Please reach out if you have any interest/advice for my research this summer or if you just want to make a new friend!

Hi, I’m Isabella! I am a rising third year student at Georgetown University studying American Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies with a research focus on sexual violence, Christian nationalism, and gender policy. I am an educator and advocate for sexual violence prevention at both a cultural and legislative level.  This summer, I will be working with Dr. Nadia Brown and a fellow scholar to understand the occurrence and effects of violence against local-level women politicians. I am particularly interested in the influence of digital abuse involving AI and the effect that sexual harassment has on women’s political participation.  Please feel free to reach out! Email: ibw9@georgetown.edu

Hello! My name is Lily and I am a 2nd year Psychology student at Trinity College Dublin, and a member of the Laidlaw Leadership and Research Scholars 2026 Cohort.  I'm interested in all things early adversity; who experiences it, what it looks like, how it affects people and what can be done to help those who have lived through it. More specifically, my research project in Summer 1 will focus on Environmental Sensitivity theory in a cohort of Syrian refugee children in Jordan. My goal with this research is to identify whether interventions may uplift children who have experienced adversity, and actually help them to thrive above and beyond their peers! I am especially interested in connecting with anyone involved in research into early adversity, Environmental Sensitivity theory or any related topics. I would also love to explore volunteering opportunities in this space! 

I am currently a junior at Barnard College of Columbia University studying Computational Biology with a minor in Economics. Through my coursework and research experiences, I have developed a strong foundation in data analysis, quantitative modeling, and computational approaches to complex biological and social systems. My background in economics has further shaped how I think about resource allocation, structural inequality, and policy impacts at scale. I am particularly interested in applying data science and computational methods to questions in public health, migration, environmental justice, and global health systems. Much of my work focuses on how large-scale systems, whether healthcare infrastructure, environmental conditions, or social policy, shape health outcomes for marginalized populations. I am especially drawn to research involving spatial analysis, longitudinal datasets, and health data infrastructure, as well as projects that bridge technical analysis with real-world policy and community impact.