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The Laidlaw Undergraduate Research and Leadership Program seeks to cultivate tomorrow’s leaders across all disciplines through independent research and leadership development programming.
Key program components include:
Research Project
There are three models for finding research projects:
All scholars will develop, pursue, and report on a research question along with their faculty mentor over the course of at least one summer (for a list of faculty willing to work with Laidlaw Scholars, please see the Faculty Involvement page). Students are encouraged to explore faculty websites and speak with faculty that they are interested in working with as soon as possible. Faculty can work with the student to help create a research plan. Students who have enrolled in summer courses are not precluded from participating.
Research projects can be in any discipline. Projects may have an international dimension. Following each summer research period, scholars and their faculty mentors will participate in a research day in which their findings are shared with the broader community. The research project may culminate in the student’s senior honors thesis if they choose.
Leadership Development
Leadership development is an important component of the Laidlaw Scholarship. Along with conducting research, scholars will also participate in a leadership development program. The leadership component of the scholarship will include workshops, trainings, and events, along with more informal mentoring opportunities.
Leadership development programming will begin in the spring before the scholar’s first summer research period and continue throughout their time as a Laidlaw Scholar. Participation in all leadership development activities is mandatory.
Key elements of the program are:
Leadership Abilities | - Able to lead without authority - Able to convey purpose and build coalitions - Cultural intelligence and capacity for empathy |
Self-Knowledge and Awareness | - Honestly assesses own knowledge and leadership style/preferences - Knows own limitations and acts accordingly - Learns continually |
Effective Communicator | - Speaks and writes clearly and confidently - Able to listen with understanding - Uses digital connectivity |
Critical and Creative Thinker | - Able to make effective decisions in complex environments - Seeks out and fosters innovation and creativity - Strong intellectual ability - Turns ideas into action |
Collaboration and Team Working | - Builds relationships and networks - Works collaboratively and across boundaries - Uses emotional intelligence to achieve this - Capitalizes on the power of diversity |
Social and Cultural Intelligence and Awareness | - Able to navigate new and foreign situations - Uses this to build relationships and networks |
Resilience and Determination to Achieve | - Has energy and impact - Makes things happen |
Research and Project Management Skills | - Able to analyze data and interpret results - Able to work and think independently - Prioritizes activities and manages own time |