CFD Team Spotlight: Thomas Larsen, Student Fellow
The Newsletter Team sat down for an interview with one of our student researchers, Thomas Larsen, for an interview about his work, passions, hobbies, and special CFD projects. The transcript of our interview is below.
CFD Team: Tell us a bit about yourself.
I am originally from Tewksbury NJ, a small town in the northern central part of the state. I am studying political science with minors in public policy and data science. I am also a student in the Kilachand Honors College.
CFD Team: What is your role within the Center?
In the Center, I am an Undergraduate Research Assistant.
CFD Team: What experiences most directly led you to your role with the Center?
Forced displacement and immigration were always topics that I heard being thrown around on the news, especially the topics of immigration being a political hot point, but it was never something I understood all too well. It was always a topic that I wanted to learn more about. This learning truly started when I took a class taught by Professor Cohen, an immigration scholar, where many of the conversations we had in that class opened my eyes to the vast injustices within the system and more specifically the condition of Statelessness. I was amazed that our systems could fail people so terribly to lead to this condition. From, this point I began exploring the topic on my own until I attended a CFD open house and became involved with the center.
CFD Team: What inspires you about this work?
This work inspires me because it focuses on a group that is largely ignored within many academic and governmental spheres. In my role, I can add much-needed information to a conversation that needs to occur. Beyond this, the conditions that many of these stateless people live through are horrible, and their perseverance for a better life is extremely inspirational.
CFD Team: Tell us about some of your passions and hobbies outside of academia. What makes you, you?
Outside of academia, I am extremely passionate about the outdoors. I love camping, hiking, backpacking, skiing, climbing, and so on. Most weekends you can find me hiking a mountain somewhere in the northeast. I also like to stay politically involved, I regularly follow the news and work to mobilize people through BU College Democrats. I also enjoy photography, focusing specifically on landscapes.
CFD Team: Where do you see yourself in five years?
In five years I see myself working in Congress. I hope to focus on writing immigration and climate policies.
CFD Team: What drew you to this position, and what continues to draw you to the position?
I was drawn to this position because it combines my interest for healthcare with my curiosity about statelessness. The position allows me to explore the field before narrowing in on a specific topic with lots of space to grow. I continue to be drawn to the position because the topic area excites me and I am adding much-needed research to an underrepresented field.
CFD Team: Can you tell us a fun fact about yourself/can you tell us about something you’re proud of?
I have hiked the entire New Jersey section of the Appalachian Trail.