Ask a LASER participant about the program, and you’ll often hear the exact phrase: life-changing. LASER—Leadership Advancing Socially Engaged Research—is frequently described by program alums as a transformative experience that can shape your future in meaningful ways.
William Castillo, a former participant, said a quote from a member of his cohort captures how many feel about the program. “My life is split into two chapters: one pre-LASER and one post-LASER,” he said. Castillo says he shares that quote often because it reflects his own experience and that of many others. He adds, “LASER was such a profound and life-changing experience that I was a part of it twice, once as a participant and once as a peer-mentor.”
Among the many experiences graduate school offers, LASER also stands out for former participant Miranda Macfarlane. “My time in LASER was one of considerable learning and growth. It was also, dare I say it, fun!”
John Lubker, the director of LASER and associate dean for academic affairs at Notre Dame, started the program for Ph.D. students ten years ago. He explains, “If you’re graduating from Notre Dame with a Ph.D., it’s not if you are going to be a leader, it’s when you’re going to be a leader. My ultimate goal is to really give these Ph.D. students the confidence to step up.” The program, he says, encourages them to think deeply about what’s important to them and what they really want their career to look like while emphasizing networking and making meaningful connections.
That vision takes shape through a yearlong, experiential program that helps Ph.D. students gain clarity, purpose, and impact in their research. Through a mix of guided activities, students enhance their self-awareness by exploring their values, emotional intelligence, and their communication styles. They also learn what it means to be a socially engaged and ethically grounded researcher. Participants co-facilitate workshops on topics of their choosing and teach the rest of the group. And each student also completes a LASER project focused on leadership or research impact.
Participants earn a $3,000 stipend and receive 1 course credit each term, totaling 3 credits over the length of the program.
Part of what makes the program special is the design of the cohorts. Each group brings together a highly diverse group of graduate students from fields such as theology and chemistry, and from countries all over the world. The diversity leads to meaningful conversations about complex social issues and introduces participants to a wide range of perspectives.
“Because of these deeply impactful exchanges, LASER creates a strong sense of unity within each cohort,” Castillo said. “LASER helped me form lifelong friendships—not only with the participants in my cohort, but also with John (Lubker), to whom I will always be eternally grateful.”
LASER participants design projects that reflect both their academic interests and values, often creating work that extends beyond the program. Macfarlane chose a project focused on making Notre Dame a more intellectually and socially inclusive space. “For my project, I co-organized a graduate student queer theory reading group and served on the organizing committee of the first-ever Notre Dame Queer Studies Symposium, which took place last spring,” she said. The work will continue well beyond her time in LASER. “We have now expanded our reading group into the Franco Institute-sponsored Queer Studies Graduate Working Group and are in the midst of organizing the second-annual Notre Dame Queer Studies Symposium, which will take place March 27-28, 2026.”
For William, LASER reshaped his understanding of leadership—and himself. “I initially joined LASER because my ultimate goal is to become a professor who not only teaches but also mentors students, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds. Through LASER, I learned that leadership extends far beyond formal titles such as presidents or CEOs. It lives in the everyday roles embodied by parents, relatives, and the people who influence our lives. Most importantly, LASER taught me that I have always possessed the qualities of an effective leader; I simply needed the confidence to recognize and embrace them.”
Stories like Macfarlane’s and Castillo’s are rewarding for Lubker, who keeps in touch with the students long after each cohort ends. In addition to directing LASER, his role as associate dean for academic affairs often finds him working alongside graduate students during their most challenging times.
“My other responsibilities involve working with students who are struggling, and that can really wear on you,” Lubker said. “LASER is the best part of my job. I get to work with some of our most engaged students, see where they go, and watch who they become. It’s a real point of pride to know I get to have that kind of impact.”
Another fundamental point of pride is the fact that Notre Dame’s LASER was named Program of the Year by the Association for Leadership Educators. “As a researcher, it’s hard to make broad claims,” Lubker said. “But to my knowledge, there isn’t another program like this in the country—one where Ph.D. students commit to this level of engagement on top of the demands of their doctoral work.”
When Lubker shares LASER at national conferences, he says colleagues are often struck not only by the student buy-in, but by the institutional support. “People are impressed by how committed the students are and by the fact that the university backs this with real resources.”
LASER runs from August to August, and students can apply from March 1 through April 1, 2026. The application includes four short essays designed to help students reflect on their motivations, values, and readiness to engage fully in the yearlong experience. LASER invites Ph.D. students to step into leadership with intention, confidence, and community. Learn more: https://graduateschool.nd.edu/graduate-training/leadership/laser/.