Esther Laaninen

Human Services and International Affairs Major
Social Impact Lab Alumni

Graduated in 2016

Esther Laaninen is a senior international affairs and human services combined major. She participated in Rebecca Riccio’s philanthropy course during the Fall of 2014 and coop-ed in with a social impact investment organization in Bolivia the following Spring. Since then, she has been eager to augment her understanding of strategic philanthropy, nonprofit management, and impact metrics − which she hopes will grow throughout her time with the Social Impact Lab.

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Social Impact Lab

More Student Paths

Urbashee Paul

Motivated by the struggles of her upbringing, Urbashee pursued economics as her field of study as an undergraduate at Boston University.
Before coming to Northeastern, Urbashee worked at a public policy think tank in Washington, D.C., and obtained a master’s degree in economics at the George Washington University.
With the guidance of Prof. Alicia Modestino, Urbashee is analyzing the impact of private and public summer jobs programs on students’ academic and future employment outcomes.
Specifically, Urbashee is investigating whether students placed in private, as opposed to public, sector summer jobs are likely to have better employment outcomes.
Urbashee was recently awarded a grant from the William T. Grant Foundation, enabling her to participate in research training and purchase datasets for her dissertation.
Urbashee's goal is to become an economist who studies and finds viable solutions to the deepening issues of poverty and inequality plaguing the youth in America.
In July, Urbashee's first co-authored economics working paper "Politicians Avoid Tax Increases Around Elections", was posted on SSRN...

Charles Lesh

Explored fields and methods of study he had not previously encountered through classroom experiences, engagement with faculty mentors, and research across the university.
Had an “a-ha!” moment for his dissertation topic after writing about graffiti writing and neoliberal space for Prof. Gallagher’s Globalization & the Geopolitics of Writing class.
Supported students and engaged in professional development as a Writing Center consultant and First-Year Writing instructor.
Served as a graduate fellow for the Center of Advancing Teaching and Learning Through Research (CATLR), where he conducted a university-wide assessment of the co-op program.
With the help of Prof. Neal Lerner, Charles conducted assessment studies across the entire Writing Program while serving as the program’s Assistant Director.
Developed the term “GeoEthnography” for his dissertation to look at the way Boston graffiti writers make, and remake, social and public space through their rhetorical work.
Conferenced with Prof. Poe and Prof. Gallagher to develop a seminar paper into an article for publication in a flagship journal of Rhetoric and Composition...