Application Information

Faculty Member Information

Faculty Supervisor Name: Yuki Kato

Faculty Supervisor Department: Sociology

Faculty Research Focus/Interest: Urban agriculture, food justice, environmental justice, history 

Faculty Supervisor Email: yk483@georgetown.edu

Project Details

Project Title: Where Have All the Gardens Gone?: Examination of the Termination of Urban Local Food Provisioning Practices in BIPOC Communities in the late 20th Century

Project Summary: Despite the consistent anecdotal accounts of local food provisioning in urban BIPOC communities through the early 20th century, such practice has rarely been formally or consistently documented. This creates a gap in our understanding of exactly when such practice ceased to be commonplace, if it ever did, and more importantly, why. This is a multi-method, interdisciplinary research project. In-depth interviews with a new generation of local food provisioners will provide how this group understands the historical precedent of local food provisioning practice, and to what extent this knowledge guides their contemporary practice. The archival data analysis examines the role of federal and local government policies, private market practices, and technological advancement that created or decreased the needs for people to procure food for themselves while also restricting who could grow, hunt, fish, or forage food in the city. In juxtaposing the oral histories with archival materials, the aim of the study is not to interrogate the accuracy of the collective memory, but rather to understand why such narratives came to dominate the collective understanding of their community’s history and legacy. The study thus considers cultural erasure and appropriation as central mechanisms, and not just consequences, of the capitalistic cycle of disinvestment and reinvestment.

Laidlaw Scholar Responsibilities:
The Scholar will assist in data collection (interview and/or archive) as well as with analysis using Dedoose qualitative data analysis software. The first week will involve intensive training to prepare the Scholar for the work. We will meet weekly to set a concrete agenda for each week, but work may be done remotely. Depending on the pace of the data collection/analysis, the Scholar may also assist in developing a scholarly journal article manuscript.  

Expected Scholar Deliverables:
By the end of the project, the Scholar will assist in producing preliminary data analysis for a component of the project (interview or archive) as a part of the scholarly journal article development.

Do you expect this project to run longer than six weeks? Yes

Project Requirements or Skills:
Independent research (ability to work self-guided each day/week), Curiosity and interest in the project’s topic, Comfort with reaching out to individuals to interview or institution to access archival materials.
I prefer that the students have had some social science or archival research backgrounds (e.g., took a course on the topic or have already worked on another research project).

Faculty Member Information

Faculty Supervisor Name: Mark Giordano

Faculty Supervisor Department: Science, Technology and International Affairs

Faculty Research Focus/Interest: Geopolitical Analysis

Faculty Supervisor Email: mg1382@georgetown.edu

Project Details

Project Title: Geopolitical Analysis for Maps of the Modern World

Project Summary: The Scholar will conduct research on 2-4 topics to inform concepts and create or revise maps/graphics used in the SFS class Maps of the Modern World. The range of potential topics is as wide as the class, but examples include a synthesis of scholarship on the relationship between food prices and political stability, the use of open source intelligence to locate and georeference India’s extraterritorial military bases and listening posts, and an analysis of emerging geopolitical competition for the Arctic. The professor will work with the scholar to choose topics that fit student interests. QGIS or other mapping skills or a desire to learn those skills is beneficial.

Laidlaw Scholar Responsibilities:
Most working days will do a combination of literature review, open source intelligence gathering, synthesis, and creation of visual or other approaches to convey key messages. In some cases, the scholar may be asked to conduct expert interviews.

Expected Scholar Deliverables:
The scholar will produce 2-4 sets of stand alone maps, graphs and background literature/synthesis that can be used to quickly convey complex geopolitical issues to viewers.

Do you expect this project to run longer than six weeks? Yes

Project Requirements or Skills:
Ability to synthesis information from multiple sources, ability to think and communicate visually, excitement

Faculty Member Information

Faculty Supervisor Name: Andrea M. Headley

Faculty Supervisor Department: McCourt School of Public Policy

Faculty Research Focus/Interest: Criminal Justice, Racial Equity, Social Justice

Faculty Supervisor Email: ah1646@georgetown.edu

Project Details

Project Title: Civil (In)Justice? The New York Civil Summons Project

Project Summary: In 2016, New York City’s Criminal Justice Reform Act diverted common offenses away from the criminal system to the civil system in hopes of avoiding the criminal penalties associated with more minor offenses (e.g., public consumption of alcohol, public urination, noise, littering, etc.). In contrast to criminal penalties, civil summons typically result in a monetary fine that can be paid online or contested at an in-person hearing. This project seeks to understand the nature, prevalence, and patterns of civil summons in New York City.

Laidlaw Scholar Responsibilities:
In order to better identify how officers use civil summons, where they deploy this civil enforcement tool, and who bears the burden of civil enforcement, extensive data collection, cleaning, and management are needed. As such, the entails supporting a mixed-methods research study, with specific activities including performing data entry (and cleaning administrative data); conducting preliminary data analysis; reading, interpreting, and summarizing social science literature and research; attending meetings and taking notes; and drafting written documents (including summaries of research).

Expected Scholar Deliverables:
At the end of the project, the scholar should be able to provide a summary of the data entry inputted, high-level descriptive characteristics of the trends in the data, any preliminary learnings on the patterns of civil summons in New York City.

Do you expect this project to run longer than six weeks? Yes

Project Requirements or Skills:

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.

• Interest in criminal justice, social justice, racial equity, sociology, public policy, or law is preferred.

• The student must also be able to work independently as well as collaboratively as part of a team.
• Experience supporting a social science research project (e.g., conducting literature reviews, engaging in data collection or analysis) or an interest in pursuing a future in research is preferred but not required.

Faculty Member Information

Faculty Supervisor Name: Bryan McCann

Faculty Supervisor Department: HIST

Faculty Research Focus/Interest: Brazilian History

Faculty Supervisor Email: bm85@georgetown.edu

Project Details

Project Title: Brazil’s 2015 Mariana Dam Collapse: Tracking and Interpreting Human and Environmental Costs

Project Summary: Together with Professor Andreza Aruska de Souza Santos of King’s College-London, I am investigating the social and juridical processes stemming from the 2015 collapse of a mining tailings dam in Mariana, Brazil. The collapse buried a nearby village under toxic mud, and poisoned hundreds of miles of the Doce River between Mariana and the Atlantic Coast. Thousands of local residents were uprooted, including members of indigenous and quilombola communities (descendants of formerly enslaved people with continuous communal ties to the location). Our current research includes analysis of legal proceedings currently underway in London against BHP Billiton, one of the companies in the consortium that owned the dam. For strategic and juridical reasons, those proceedings require the witness testimony of executives and technicians from the various companies involved, but do not require testimony of the victims. Instead, in the current trial, damages are assessed via technical reports. Our research will supplement these technical reports with other qualitative and quantitative methods used to analyze the consequences of the dam’s collapse. These include tracking population change in towns and villages along the length of the river, gathering existing testimonial accounts from journalistic and academic sources, and conducting oral histories with residents, including some who were displaced by the collapse. Together, this research will provide a wide range of perspectives and personal experiences of the consequences of the dam’s collapse. We will integrate these findings into our social and juridical analysis of the trial proceedings. This will enable a combination of ground-level, detail of the individual experience of everyday people along the river with a bird’s-eye view analysis of environmental damages and the legal proceedings against BHP Billiton.

Laidlaw Scholar Responsibilities:
The Laidlaw scholar will undertake the following:

• Track population change in villages and towns along the Rio Doce from 2014-2024 using Brazilian public data (IBGE, etc)
• Summarize findings on water quality and environmental damages from completed and ongoing Brazilian academic projects (Lattes Platform, etc)
• Gather and summarize existing testimonial accounts from journalistic and academic sources (drawing on a range of Brazilian newspapers, magazines, websites, theses, and oral histories, using databases such as Lattes, JSTOR, Project Muse, etc)

All of the above can be undertaken from Washington DC, using Georgetown University digital resources. If a student researcher is in Brazil and able to visit the Rio Doce region, that will enable a different kind of fieldwork. But that is not necessary for this stage of the research.

Expected Scholar Deliverables:
The Laidlaw scholar will produce an executive summary of the initiatives listed above, as well as compile additional material in digital folders, with separate summaries for each major folder (e.g., population change, water quality, testimonials).

Do you expect this project to run longer than six weeks? No

Project Requirements or Skills:
Advanced reading ability in Brazilian Portuguese, ability to reach out to and follow up with Brazilian scholars and journalists via email, ability to write clear summaries with appropriate detail.

Faculty Member Information

Faculty Supervisor Name: Jun Han

Faculty Supervisor Department: McCourt School of Public Policy

Faculty Research Focus/Interest: Sustainable and Impact Investing, Social Entrepreneurship, Social Innovation, Social Impact, Impact Measurement and Evaluation

Faculty Supervisor Email: jh2067@georgetown.edu

Project Details

Project Title: Comparative Analysis of Sustainable and Impact Investing Ecosystems in the US and China

Project Summary: This research project offers an exciting opportunity to explore and compare the rapidly evolving landscapes of sustainable and impact investing in the world’s two largest economies. The student research assistant will contribute to a comprehensive comparative analysis of the US and Chinese markets, focusing on key aspects that shape these ecosystems.

The research will examine:

• Market size, growth trajectories, and investment trends in both countries;
• Key institutional players, including investment firms, fund managers, and regulatory bodies;
• Policy frameworks and initiatives driving sustainable investment;
• ESG reporting standards and practices, highlighting similarities and differences between the two markets;
• Investment strategies and priority sectors in each market;
• Challenges and opportunities in both ecosystems.

Laidlaw Scholar Responsibilities:
The ideal candidate will have a strong interest in sustainable finance or impact investing, basic understanding of financial markets, and the ability to analyze data from diverse sources. Knowledge of Mandarin Chinese is beneficial but not required. This project provides valuable exposure to the growing field of sustainable finance and offers hands-on experience in conducting cross-market research and analysis.

Expected Scholar Deliverables:
The deliverable would be a comprehensive report (30-40 pages). The report should synthesize findings from academic literature, industry reports, market data, and policy documents to provide actionable insights for stakeholders in both markets.

Do you expect this project to run longer than six weeks? No

Project Requirements or Skills:
Literature Review, Data Analysis, and Policy Analysis

Faculty Member Information

Faculty Supervisor Name: Monica Sanders

Faculty Supervisor Department: Law Center

Faculty Research Focus/Interest: Climate and Environmental Justice, Disaster Risk Reduction

Faculty Supervisor Email: ms4532@georgetown.edu

Project Details

Project Title: Mapping Environmental Justice: Building a Database of EJ Laws and Policies

Project Summary: This project focuses on developing a database of environmental justice (EJ) laws and policies to support communities impacted by environmental inequities. The scholar will research, analyze, and map EJ-related statutes and regulations across local, state, and federal levels. This project will equip communities with actionable information on their rights and available resources while enabling stakeholders to identify gaps in EJ frameworks. The research will include community input and feedback to ensure accessibility and relevance. The final output will contribute to a broader initiative that informs equitable policy interventions and resource allocation.

Laidlaw Scholar Responsibilities:
The Laidlaw Scholar will work for six weeks (days and hours TBD), contributing to several facets of the project:

• Conduct literature reviews and legal research to identify EJ laws and policies.
• Collaborate with community organizations to gather input on legal challenges and capacity needs.
• Utilize digital tools (e.g., GIS, spreadsheets) to map and catalog laws by region.
• Synthesize research findings into accessible reports and visualizations.
• Participate in weekly mentorship meetings to discuss progress and receive guidance.
• Day-to-day responsibilities will include reviewing EJ-related statutes, compiling data in user-friendly formats, and preparing presentations on findings for stakeholder feedback.

Expected Scholar Deliverables:
The scholar will deliver a curated database (section most feasible) of EJ laws and policies, a summary report highlighting legal and policy trends, and a presentation that includes visualizations (e.g., maps, charts) to share findings with community partners and faculty/team mentors.

Do you expect this project to run longer than six weeks? No

Project Requirements or Skills:

• Research skills, including the ability to review and synthesize academic and policy documents.
• Basic proficiency in GIS or data visualization tools (training can be provided if needed).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for engaging with community organizations and summarizing research findings.

A passion for environmental justice and interest in developing practical solutions to support impacted communities. Familiarity with legal research or environmental policy is helpful but not required. Training and support will be provided throughout the project.

Faculty Member Information

Faculty Supervisor Name: Andreas Kern

Faculty Supervisor Department: McCourt School of Public Policy

Faculty Research Focus/Interest: International Political Economy, Central Banking, China’s Financial Statecraft in the Global South, Gender, Women Leadership, and Public Policy

Faculty Supervisor Email: ak679@georgetown.edu

Project Details

Project Title: The Political Economy of Digital Finance

Project Summary: Digital finance and payment systems play an increasingly important role around the globe. Whereas in some countries, such as the United States, digital payment systems rely on private sector players (e.g., private intermediaries such as Visa), a recent surge in public payment platforms can be observed. For instance, in countries such as India and Brazil, these public payment systems have become mainstream elements of the financial ecosystem. This research project aims to understand the politico-economic driving forces behind a government’s decision to invest heavily in public payment infrastructure. Importantly, this research project aims to better understand the role of cryptocurrencies and the Digital Belt and Road Initiative in assessing these developments. Furthermore, it is unclear to what extent this digital financial inclusion translates into the empowerment of women and marginalized groups.

Laidlaw Scholar Responsibilities:
The Laidlaw Scholar would become an integral part of my research team. Depending on their personal preferences, I would be open to assigning tasks in alignment with the specific learning goals of the Scholar. These would include background desk research, conducting literature reviews, background interviews with experts in leading international organizations and the financial industry, and potentially some data collection/processing.

Expected Scholar Deliverables:
Again, I would be flexible concerning these deliverables. In an ideal setting, the Laidlaw Scholar could become a co-author in this project.

Do you expect this project to run longer than six weeks? No

Project Requirements or Skills:

• Analytical Skills: Capacity to evaluate economic and political phenomena, interpret research findings, and draw meaningful conclusions.
• Effective Communication: Strong written and verbal communication skills to draft inputs, prepare presentations, and collaborate with interdisciplinary teams. 
• Literature Review and Synthesis: Strong ability to review academic and policy literature, identify key insights, and summarize findings effectively.
• Some basic data management and analysis would be desired but are not necessary for this role.

Faculty Member Information

Faculty Supervisor Name: Krista Ruffini

Faculty Supervisor Department: Georgetown University, McCourt School of Public Policy

Faculty Research Focus/Interest: Economics, tax policy, education spending

Faculty Supervisor Email: kr333@georgetown.edu

Project Details

Project Title: How Historical Factors Shape State Taxes and Expenditures

Project Summary: This project (joint with Prof Bradley Hardy, MSPP) aims to identify historical factors that shape the progressivity of state tax systems and the resulting implications for public spending. Particular attention will be provided to factors that have disparate impacts for populations of different racial and ethnic groups. 

Laidlaw Scholar Responsibilities:
The scholar would be responsible for helping compile a literature review of factors that shaped state tax systems; describing features of state tax and spending data using statistical software (with the assistance of the PIs and/or graduate RAs); developing visualizations; and helping prepare presentations and policy briefs.

Expected Scholar Deliverables:
The scholar will have completed a literature review of state tax systems (which can be used as a future writing sample) and assembled a portfolio of visualizations.

Do you expect this project to run longer than six weeks? No

Project Requirements or Skills:
Attention to detail, basic fluency with excel, interest in historical and economic research.
(We are flexible on the project duration — we can accommodate Scholars looking for a longer project)

Faculty Member Information

Faculty Supervisor Name: Yulia Chentsova Dutton

Faculty Supervisor Department: Psychology

Faculty Research Focus/Interest: Cultural psychology, psychology of emotions

Faculty Supervisor Email: yec2@georgetown.edu

Project Details

Project Title: Cultural shaping of the naive models of emotions

Project Summary: The scholar would work on an ongoing project examining naive models of emotions (i.e., people’s beliefs about their own emotions) and their relationship to emotion regulation. We will examine how such models differ across cultural contexts. The scholar would participate in collecting data, coding already collected schematic models of emotion and their descriptions, and participating in data analysis. The scholar will also help us adapt our existing in-the-lab task examining models of emotions to the online format.

Laidlaw Scholar Responsibilities:
The scholar would work as part of a team. They would code already collected models of emotions (graphic representations of what emotions entail and how they unfold over time) and compare their codes to those of other team members to establish reliability. They would also collect new data and prepare data for analysis (e.g., merging and cleaning datasets). Finally, they will have an opportunity to participate in preparing conference presentations and/or papers.

Expected Scholar Deliverables:
Deliverables will include coded data and a brief description of establishing reliability and coding. They will also include data files and drafts of the descriptions of data analysis (data analysis will be conducted jointly with the PI)

Do you expect this project to run longer than six weeks? No

Project Requirements or Skills:

• Attention to detail and organizational skills, communication skills
• Ability to work with spreadsheets. Knowledge of statistical software is desirable, but not required.
• Knowledge of Chinese and/or Russian/Ukrainian is desirable but not required.

Faculty Member Information

Faculty Supervisor Name: Michael Parker

Faculty Supervisor Department: Dean’s Office

Faculty Research Focus/Interest: Biosecurity

Faculty Supervisor Email: mp1660@georgetown.edu

Project Details

Project Title: Inspiration from Down Under – The Role of the Australia Group in US Biosecurity Policy

Project Summary: The Australia Group (AG) is an international cooperative of forty-two countries and the European Union that seeks to levy coordinated export control to limit proliferation of chemical and biological weapons. As a member of this group since its inception in 1984, the United States has significantly shaped, and been similarly shaped by, the evolution of these efforts throughout time. In evaluating biosecurity policy regulations of the United States, the AG’s influence is evident but fragmented. This project would seek to better understand the role of the AG in US biosecurity policy decision making throughout time, and to compare and contrast the evolution of export control agreements and legislative/regulatory action in the US. To accomplish this, we will review historical records available online, consult governments of both the US and Australia to obtain currently non-public records, and perform interviews with representatives to the AG. The results of this work are likely to compile important historical information for the biosecurity community, divulge critical information about the influence of international collaboration on domestic biosecurity policy decisions, and provide insights into how policy might evolve moving forward.

Laidlaw Scholar Responsibilities:
Working mostly independently (100% virtual), but with weekly check-ins (via Zoom) to discuss progress and to define new work.

Collaborate/communicate with Australian and US officials to obtain necessary documentation/information.

Drafting of outlines and manuscripts to describe findings.

(potential; depends on funding, availability of partners, etc.) Travel to Australia for approximately two weeks to meet with AG representatives, review archival materials.

Expected Scholar Deliverables:
A shared Google Drive folder with organized provision of all collected and produced work from the summer A collection and detailed bibliography of relevant documents on the topic Interview transcripts from discussions with government officials Honing and completing our current rough draft of the work to prepare for publication

Do you expect this project to run longer than six weeks? Yes

Project Requirements or Skills:

• Ability to take feedback and directions and to not only follow through, but to innovate beyond the instructions; ability to work mostly independently
• Genuinely interested in the topic of biosecurity policy and non-proliferation
• (potential, but not certain) Able to travel internationally to Australia for part of the summer

Faculty Member Information

Faculty Supervisor Name: Emily Mendenhall

Faculty Supervisor Department: STIA

Faculty Research Focus/Interest: Health Politics and Chronic Conditions

Faculty Supervisor Email: em1061@georgetown.edu

Project Details

Project Title: Culture and Chronic Post-Viral Conditions

Project Summary: This project will involve working with a team at the Brain and Mind Institute at Aga Khan University in Nairobi, Kenya, focusing on a combination of studies on complex chronic conditions, from Long Covid and ecological grief to Dementia. This context is imbued with donor priority-setting and has often marginalized care for those not living with a condition (e.g., HIV, TB, malaria) earmarked for treatment. This project focuses on how complex chronic conditions are identified and treated within the Kenyan context, as well as what conditions (both social and medical) travel with them. For instance, we might ask: how is something like Long Dengue diagnosed, or are symptoms attributed to another chronic condition (like diabetes)? The student will reside for the six weeks in Nairobi, Kenya, working closely with Prof Mendenhall (remotely) and working directly under Dr. Edna Bosire, a Kenyan medical anthropologist. Must have strong analytical and writing skills.

Laidlaw Scholar Responsibilities:
The fellow will reside at a guest house in Kilifi, Kenya (on the beach!) and work with our study team to interview experts in post-viral care as well as patients. The fellow will work on a team, thereby working alongside a study team focused on this project (taking notes, identifying people interview, managing data, helping write up notes/observations/ideas, etc). They will spend time at the Aga Khan University Brain and Mind Institute Office as well as local hospital clinics. The student will need a thick notebook and will receive extensive training and experience in ethnographic methods.

Expected Scholar Deliverables:
The fellow will work on our study team to conduct 20 interviews with experts and 20 with patients living with complex chronic conditions.

The fellow will work on a team to conduct these interviews, manage the data, ensure they are transcribed, and work on the team who will build a codebook, code the data, and write up the manuscript.

I am looking for someone who is exceedingly curious, has interest in qualitative research and ethnographic methods, has a passion for East Africa (Kiswahili speaker would be awesome!), and is a self-starter.

Do you expect this project to run longer than six weeks? Yes

Project Requirements or Skills:

• Very good writing skills
• Listening and observation skills
• Independent spirit who can drive the project and be comfortable living in Kilifi.

Faculty Member Information

Faculty Supervisor Name: Jamil Scott

Faculty Supervisor Department: Government

Faculty Research Focus/Interest: American Politics; Race and Gender Politics; Legislative Politics and Judicial Politics

Faculty Supervisor Email: js4693@georgetown.edu

Project Details

Project Title: Running for Justice? Understanding Women’s Path to Prosecutorial and Judicial Office

Project Summary: Scholars recognize women and particularly WOC have more progressive ambition in running for office and seeking positions in the legal system, yet the political, institutional, and personal factors that motivate them to seek office have been paid very little attention. Using state bar passage data, we have the population of potential candidates and nominees for state and local prosecutors and judges given that the vast majority possess law degrees. We will code the state, local, and personal information for each of these individuals who ran for office to determine what allows women, and particularly women of color, to succeed in these arenas. This will also provide us with names and information for our larger project to interview candidates who have won and lost, and also nominees, to understand what motivates women to seek prosecutorial or judicial office. This study not only has implications for women and race and ethnicity politics, but also for studies of state and local politics and policy, and judicial politics. It will also create a new dataset that can be utilized for future important studies. Moreover, these results will have important implications for judicial reform for those interested in how to increase diversity in the judicial system.

Laidlaw Scholar Responsibilities:
Coding state bar association data to match with existing candidate records – both legislative and judicial.

Interviewing candidates who have run for legal office to understand their motivation for seeking office.

Weekly check-in meeting.

Develop draft of research paper through weekly deliverable tasks.

Develop resume and other professional development materials through weekly deliverable tasks.

Expected Scholar Deliverables:
The Laidlaw scholar will develop a final paper that builds from the larger project by examining which women with law degrees and what factors matter for the decision to run for legislative office rather than judicial office.

Do you expect this project to run longer than six weeks? Yes

Project Requirements or Skills:

• Experience with finding and reading academic articles.
• Experience with coding data and search tasks.

Faculty Supervisor Name: Anita Gonzalez

Faculty Supervisor Department: Performing Arts and Black Studies

Faculty Research Focus/Interest: African Diaspora Studies, Performing Arts, Latin American Studies, Black British and Caribbean Studies

Faculty Supervisor Email: alg155@georgetown.edu

Project Details

Project Title: Popular Culture in Puerto Rico: Santos and Plenas

Project Summary: The research project investigates two components of Puerto Rican popular culture, the wooden Santos figures carved by island artisans, and the Plenas or storytelling songs of the island. Both cultural forms express a type of resistance against colonial cultures through art making. Students will collaborate with collection archivists and museum curators associated with the Instituto de la Cultura Puertorriquena and then visit with craftsmen and practitioners at select sites in Puerto Rico during June/July 2025. The outcome of the research will be a dramaturgy packet/catalog about the Santos and Plena traditions that can be used to develop a musical theater libretto about these cultural traditions. Dr. Gonzalez is a Professor of Performing Arts and Black Studies at Georgetown University and a writer of stories for operas and musical theater productions. The student research will be incorporated into a script for a potential stage production.

Laidlaw Scholar Responsibilities:
Read materials about Puerto Rican history and culture.

Participate in Zoom sessions with Puerto Rican arts administrators.

Travel to Puerto Rico for seven to ten days to view museum collections and interview local artisans.

Develop text and collect images about the artisans and songs we will be researching.

Use the text and images to create a catalog in Canva that will serve as research material for the development of a new musical theater work.

Expected Scholar Deliverables:
The expected deliverable is a visual catalog with text that will be created in Canva and used as an informational tool about Puerto Rican Santos and Plenas. The catalog will be used to educate the public about these two art forms and to promote a proposed musical theater production about Puerto Rican culture.

Do you expect this project to run longer than six weeks? No

Project Requirements or Skills:

• Interest in history and culture,
• Skills or experience with visual design.
• Good oral and written communication skills.

Faculty Member Information

Faculty Supervisor Name: Kenneth Tercyak, PhD

Faculty Supervisor Department: Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center

Faculty Research Focus/Interest: Dr. Tercyak’s research focuses on developmental and biobehavioral aspects of cancer risk, communication, and intervention, including public health genomics, tobacco control, and skin cancer prevention. His work in hereditary cancer syndromes examines health messaging, decision support, outcomes of genetic education and testing, and the role of peer support in promoting healthy behavior. Dr. Tercyak’s work in tobacco control focuses on primary prevention in adolescents/young adults. His research in childhood cancer survivorship examines the organization and delivery of follow-up care to promote equitable health outcomes, clinical-behavioral outcomes of pediatric tumor molecular profiling, and lifestyle behaviors affecting long-term health and resilience. Other efforts focus on supporting the comprehensive care needs of parents with cancer, and behavioral interventions to promote family quality of life during cancer treatment.

Faculty Supervisor Email: tercyakk@georgetown.edu

Project Details

Project Title: Cancer Prevention and Control in Families

Project Summary: My research lab focuses on developmental and biobehavioral aspects of cancer risk, health communication, prevention, and intervention. We study public health genomics, tobacco control, skin cancer prevention, and more. We also explore how cancer and cancer risk impact the family–examining health messaging, decision support, the outcomes of genetic education, testing, and peer counseling, and how parenting, child rearing, and coping skills are influenced by cancer. The Tercyak Lab is a part of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Division of Population Science. We conduct research within the greater Washington, DC community–and with collaborators from across the United States. The Laidlaw Scholar will work with Dr. Tercyak to identify a project of interest, and assist in the analysis of project outcome data. Please visit https://sites.google.com/georgetown.edu/tercyaklab for details. One example is our partnership with a national non-profit organization providing information and support to young women with breast and ovarian cancer. We are conducting a comprehensive program evaluation of their interventions. The evaluation focuses on culturally-relevant breast and ovarian cancer education programming which guides young breast and ovarian cancer survivors from diagnosis through survivorship. Our evaluation aims to review and help improve program components, strengthen collaboration with local, regional, and national partners, increase utilization of structured education support services, and raise awareness about available resources.

Laidlaw Scholar Responsibilities:
The Scholar’s responsibilities will include: reviewing the medical and behavioral/social science research literature on the given topic, preparing a written review of select findings about the topic, developing and testing a research hypothesis, learning how to use biostatistical software, interpreting results, creating data tables, and preparing research findings for dissemination. The Scholar will conduct their mentored research in-person and will be provided with a workstation. The Scholar will also attend weekly lab meetings, and carry-out other ancillary project-related duties as assigned.

Expected Scholar Deliverables:
The Scholar will be expected to prepare and deliver a poster presentation at the conclusion of their fellowship.

Do you expect this project to run longer than six weeks? No

Project Requirements or Skills:
Interested in preventive medicine, public health, psychology/behavioral science, and cancer. Experience with the scientific method and interested in learning about clinical science. Basic understanding of applied statistics is helpful.

Faculty Member Information

Faculty Supervisor Name: Kai Liu

Faculty Supervisor Department: Physics

Faculty Research Focus/Interest: Physics and materials research for sustainability

Faculty Supervisor Email: kl881@georgetown.edu

Project Details

Project Title: Multifunctional filtration media

Project Summary: Our group focuses on synthesis and experimental investigation of nanostructured materials.  In particular, we are developing a novel type of multifunctional particulate filtration media based on nanoporous metallic foams that are extremely light-weight, with enormous surface areas while maintaining mechanical stability.

Laidlaw Scholar Responsibilities:
Student(s) working on the project will be involved with all aspects of the research, including sample synthesis, characterization, data analysis, manuscript preparation and research presentation.

Expected Scholar Deliverables:
Gain understanding of how the sample design and microstructures would help improve the performance and functionality of the filtration media.

Do you expect this project to run longer than six weeks? No

Project Requirements or Skills:
Prior laboratory experience in physics/chemistry. Data analysis. Presentation.
Be able to think critically.

Faculty Member Information

Faculty Supervisor Name: James Freericks

Faculty Supervisor Department: Physics

Faculty Research Focus/Interest: Quantum Mechanics

Faculty Supervisor Email: freericj@georgetown.edu

Project Details

Project Title: Developing a video to properly illustrate wave-particle duality

Project Summary: I need someone with video editing skills and voice acting skills to help complete a short video that explains how wave-particle duality works using computer-generated 3d graphics (which have already been completed). No knowledge of quantum mechanics is necessary, but an interest to develop high quality educational videos for youtube is a must.

Laidlaw Scholar Responsibilities:
The scholar will help develop and edit the script. Will be the narrator for the video, and will edit the final product to complete the work.

Expected Scholar Deliverables:
The end product will be a 5-10 minute educational video suitable for posting on Youtube.

Do you expect this project to run longer than six weeks? No

Project Requirements or Skills:
Video editing, voice acting, and an interest to learn about quantum mechanics.

Faculty Member Information

Faculty Supervisor Name: Sam Halabi

Faculty Supervisor Department: Health Management and Policy

Faculty Research Focus/Interest: Global Health Law

Faculty Supervisor Email: sfh9@georgetown.edu

Project Details

Project Title: Universal Health Coverage in Sub-Saharan Africa

Project Summary: The Center for Transformational Health Law (CTHL) is partnering with the World Health Organization’s Office for the Africa Region (AFRO) in developing tools and capacity support to expand access to basic health services across the continent. Focusing on maternal and infant health including access to medicines, the student fellow would develop country-specific profiles and identify major gaps in access to services considered essential to prevent catastrophic out of pocket payments for health products and services.

Laidlaw Scholar Responsibilities:
The Laidlaw Scholar would largely be responsible for executing discrete research requests within the National Library of Medicine database and other publicly available databases. The scholar would undertake a comprehensive search using keywords and then synthesize search results into actionable memos.

Expected Scholar Deliverables:
The scholar would produce approximately 4-6 memos and would also be credited in publications for submission.

Do you expect this project to run longer than six weeks? No

Project Requirements or Skills:
Interest in global health; familiarity with NLM/NCBI databases and keywords; strong writing ability
Working knowledge of French or Portuguese desirable but not required

Faculty Member Information

Faculty Supervisor Name: Taylor Jones

Faculty Supervisor Department: The Earth Commons

Faculty Research Focus/Interest: Environmental Monitoring and Climate Science

Faculty Supervisor Email: tj302@georgetown.edu

Project Details

Project Title: Establishing an Urban Tree Monitoring Site at Georgetown

Project Summary: As a new member of the international Urban Tree Physiological Network (UTEN), I need a student to help design and install wireless sensors on 1-3 trees on the Hilltop campus. These sensors will continuously monitor the health and growth of the trees and how they are interacting with the environment. The student will also analyze the data from the tree(s) and come up with creative ways to present their findings in ways that engage the campus, the local community, and UTEN. A pilot version of this project completed years ago involved the creation of social media accounts for specific trees that reported data in real time. One of these trees quickly gained over 10,000 followers on twitter, highlighting the potential of using real-time sensors and social media for general public science communication. This project would aim to establish an existing tree on campus as not only a source of scientific data, but as a must-follow social media account (tree-fluencer?) for people on campus in a way that promotes awareness about the role trees play in our urban lives.

Laidlaw Scholar Responsibilities:
Since most of the hardware for the tree sensor kits has already been ordered, the scholar’s first task will be working with me and other members of my lab to determine which trees to instrument and how best to do that. They will then install the sensors and monitor the sensors closely throughout the summer (I anticipate many bugs and broken sensor parts!). They will collect and organize many types of data surrounding the trees, such as preparing leaf samples for analysis, photographing canopy extent, etc. They will work with members of my lab to develop an automated social media presence for the trees as well. All of this work will expose the students to engineering skills (there will be circuitry, 3d printing, etc.) as well as plant physiology, climate science, and science communication in exciting ways.

Expected Scholar Deliverables:
The scholar will produce a guide on how to install, monitor, and care for the various sensors used in the project. This will be used on planned future expansions. They will also have ownership over some of the data and the social media output of the project.

Do you expect this project to run longer than six weeks? Yes

Project Requirements or Skills:
Willingness and desire to learn engineering and data science skills.

Willingness to do ecological field work (it could get hot / humid / dirty).

Self motivated and reliable – the student will be expected to monitor the health of sensors on a near-daily basis without constant faculty oversight.