Laura Ferdinand
Laura joined the Searle Center as a postdoctoral scholar in 2022 and advanced to the role of Assistant Director of Content and Communication in 2024. She is energized by this dynamic position, which brings together her deep interests and expertise in teaching, research, editing, and graphic design.
As an advocate and lifelong student of equity and inclusion, Laura leads the Getting to Know Our Students Series, which synthesizes leading-edge research to provide strengths-based approaches for supporting the success of students whose (intersectional) identities have been historically underserved in Western higher education. Laura collaborates with subject matter experts across the campus and the nation, as well as compensated student consultants, to create impactful Learning & Teaching Guides for this series, including “Supporting First-Generation College Student Success” and the forthcoming “Strengths-Based Approaches for Neuroinclusive Learning.”
Laura earned her doctorate in Interdisciplinary Theatre and Drama from Northwestern University, where she was honored as a Presidential Fellow. She has taught at Miami University, Columbia College Chicago, and Northwestern. Leveraging her background as a theatre scholar and practitioner, Laura integrates principles and techniques of improvisation and applied theatre pedagogy to develop innovative and engaging teaching methods to enhance deep learning, student well-being, and DEIJ in the classroom. She has presented research on this topic at the Association for Theatre in Higher Education.
In addition to her academic and teaching roles, Laura has created visually compelling materials for various educational initiatives, including infographics, promotional materials, and ePublications for the Searle Center. Her design work is characterized by a strong understanding of visual communication principles, which she uses to effectively convey complex information in an accessible and engaging manner.