Lauren is a Professional Learning Curriculum Specialist working within the WIDA Educator Learning, Research and Practice department. In this role, she works in the research, design and facilitation of professional learning with state educational agencies, administrators and teachers of multilingual learners across the WIDA consortium. 

Lauren's research and work specifically focuses on majority immigrant and refugee newcomers as well as students identified as having interrupted or limited formal education.  She has a special interest in using STEM/STEAM and project-based learning to enhance language and content learning in the classroom.

Prior to joining WIDA,Lauren worked with diverse groups of multilingual learners in the K-12 school system in Nashville, Tennesse and Norfolk, Virginia. She has her doctorate of education from Vanderbilt University and her master's in globalization and educational change from Lehigh University.