Hometown: Gulfport, Mississippi

Research Interests: Water sustainability, food studies, refugees and migration, civil society building, documentary filmmaking

Lauren earned her bachelor’s degree in Arabic and International Studies from the University of Mississippi. Throughout her undergraduate career, she spent time in Amman, Jordan studying Arabic and working with civil society organizations. Her undergraduate thesis focused on the relationship between renewable energy projects and refugee crises in Jordan.

She then spent a year in Meknes, Morocco as a Boren Scholar completing the Arabic Language Flagship Capstone. While in Morocco, Lauren conducted survey research on the effects of social food customs on Moroccans with Celiac disease.

Prior to joining CCAS, Lauren served as Coordinator of the Arabic Flagship Program at the University of Mississippi. With MAAS, Lauren aims to further contribute to the field of research in refugees, migration, and water and food sustainability in the region.