Laidlaw Scholars Program
The Tufts Laidlaw Scholars Program is an 18-month program developing leadership skills through hands-on training, a six-week summer research experience, and a six-week summer immersive service-learning project. As scholars, undergraduate students receive two summers of funding to support these efforts. One of these summer experiences is typically completed abroad.*
Throughout the program, Laidlaw Scholars participate in activities to promote their development as leaders, including workshops, trainings, and other informal mentoring opportunities. Following completion of the program, scholars will receive a transcript notation identifying them as a Laidlaw Scholar, as well as sustain membership as part of the global Laidlaw community.
The program is made possible by the generous funding of Lord Irvine Laidlaw of Rothiemay through the Laidlaw Foundation.
*Overseas Component may be met various ways which are listed in the Expectations section of the application page.
Support for the scholars includes:
- Living Stipend: Approximately $4700/year
- Research & Travel Stipend: Up to $650/year to be used over the course of the two summer experiences
- Faculty mentors will receive $1000 in funding
- Leadership Training - Over the course of the two years, covering leadership topics from self-reflection to public speaking.
- Ethics Program with The Oxford Character Project.
- One summer research period of six weeks where you will undertake a research project while working in collaboration with a faculty mentor.
- A Service-Learning Experience over six weeks in your second summer. This is most often abroad* (please see the LiA handbook for exceptions).
A Cultural Immersion Experience usually during the service-learning experience.
[Amishika Dhaurali - 2023 Cohort. Credit: Jared Charney]
Maycon Santos
"My journey through the Laidlaw program was a pivotal experience that greatly influenced my career trajectory. When I first started, I had this vision of myself as a college professor, presiding over a research lab dedicated to probing the mysteries of cognitive psychology, particularly metacognition and memory. I was deeply drawn to the academic life, with its promise of scholarly exploration.
However, life had other plans (at least for now). I received this incredible job offer from one of the world's leading software companies...
The two years I had spent working with Prof. Holly Taylor in her Spatial Navigation Lab weren't just an academic exercise; they turned out to be a real-world skill-building journey. That experience, which led to my senior thesis, equipped me with a solid foundation in research methodologies and academic writing—skills that are directly applicable to my current role.
What's more, my time in the lab gave me something priceless: options. Because of the rigorous curriculum I've built for myself, I feel well-prepared for competitive PhD programs, should I decide later to pursue that path. So, while my career may have taken an unexpected turn, I'm excited about the possibilities that lie ahead, whether in industry or academia."
Sam Brill
"I can't tell you how grateful I am for the Laidlaw Experience. Not only has it provided me with some lifelong scholar friends (and cool places to visit with friends who are now in graduate programs), but it has given me a good deal of direction on the different kinds of ways I can make meaning out of my career. Research is such an impactful way to inform strategies of how to excel. The leadership development cannot be understated. I think my social awareness has improved by leaps and bounds since starting as a Laidlaw Scholar. Not every scholar takes advantage of the opportunity to develop as a leader, and while I can't comment on anyone else specifically, I am very thankful that I listened and paid attention during those sessions because they have given me some invaluable tools both on how to network, thrive, and lead."
Mikayla Barreiro
"Laidlaw is what first allowed me to pursue sustained research, and thus what made me realize how much I love it. Without the funding from Laidlaw, I would probably not be where I am today"
"I met my best friend through Laidlaw... Professionally, she impacted my career more than anything. She exposed me to an entirely new way of looking at history, and my current research is far closer to hers than what I originally pursued with Laidlaw."
Sarah Herchel - Associate Vice Provost for Educational Innovation
- As Associate Vice Provost for Educational Innovation, Sarah Herchel works to advance the educational vision of the university by identifying opportunities for innovation across Tufts. This includes supporting schools in the development of new programs as well as promoting and facilitating experiential learning opportunities across the university. She oversees the Laidlaw Scholars Program, one of the experiential learning programs at Tufts. Prior to the Associate Vice Provost role, Sarah held positions in the School of Arts and Sciences, including seven years as the Associate Dean for the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Sarah's Ph.D. is in Education, and she is interested in student access to education, online learning environments, experiential and self-directed learning, and mentoring. Sarah is a faculty affiliate in the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice Leadership program.
Andrew Singleton - Program Administrator and Instructor
- Andrew has a B.S. from MIT in Biology and a background in social-impact enterprises, wind-power generation, user-computer-interfaces, as well as computer network design. He joined the program from Venture Café, which in partnership with Cambridge Innovation Center connects and educates the entrepreneurial and innovation community in locations on four continents.
