Ashley Gutierrez-Torres, a Duke University sophomore and 2025-2026 Laidlaw Scholar, has been selected to join the Laidlaw Scholars Advisory Board.
In January 2025, Hart Leadership Program welcomed its first cohort to the Laidlaw Scholars Research and Leadership Program, a prestigious 24-month leadership development program that combines training in community-engaged research and immersive practice in ethical leadership. Eager to address societal challenges through policy and research, Ashley, a second-year Scholar, will serve as Duke’s first representative on the Scholars Advisory Board, amplifying the voices of her peers and making a lasting impact on the Laidlaw Scholars Program at Duke and at over twenty partner institutions around the world.
The ten-member Advisory Board helps to bridge the gap between the global Scholar community, university staffs, and the Laidlaw Foundation, collaborating on initiatives and providing feedback to strengthen program offerings and the Scholar experience. During her year of service, Ashley will work alongside Board members from Trinity College Dublin, EPFL, University of Hong Kong, University of Leeds, Columbia University, Durham University, University of Toronto, University College London, and Georgetown University.
Speaking to the Duke Laidlaw Scholars community during the December kickoff event, Ashley shared words of inspiration to the incoming 2026 cohort: “This program is a launchpad both for supporting the communities you love and for opening yourself to new forms of research…Fall in love with your Laidlaw experience.” Hart Leadership Program is excited to support Ashley’s work on the Laidlaw Scholars Advisory Board this year as she continues to embrace her Laidlaw experience in new ways.
To read more about Ashley and the Laidlaw Scholars Advisory Board, be sure to check out this article on the Laidlaw Scholars Network.