Meet new faculty member David Laws

Dr. Laws joins Middlesex as a chemistry teacher, crew coach, and dorm parent.

Photo by Caroline Wolford

David Laws, more commonly known as “DLaws,” is one of several new faculty members on campus this year. Dr. Laws earned his B.S. in chemistry from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, where he went on to work at The Lawrenceville School as a chemistry teacher and Dean of Academics. There he taught physics, computer science, and math for 24 years. 

Dr. Laws loves Middlesex so far, saying, “The faculty at Middlesex is so welcoming and so helpful,” and an “incredible group to work with.” He also enjoys how close-knit the community at Middlesex is compared to the bigger group of around 800 students at his previous school, Lawrenceville.

Dr. Laws “has missed teaching chemistry,” and is looking forward to teaching half of the Chem 10 students; he also eagerly awaits co-teaching a robotics course in the spring and coaching girls’ JV crew. Dr. Laws is also the faculty advisor of the Middlesex Robotics Club and a Kravis dorm parent–his favorite academic building is Clay, however, and he loves that it is air-conditioned. He also notes that he is excited to try out the observatory on the Clay roof!

Surprisingly, the very first school to offer him a job as a physics teacher was Middlesex 25 years ago. However, Dr. Laws states that he didn’t take it because his wife took a job in New Jersey, thus taking him to Lawrenceville; despite getting a job here in Concord in 2019, COVID allowed her to work remotely. Currently she works in Cambridge, and Dr. Laws has followed, coming back full circle to Middlesex. “Everything comes around in this world,” says Dr. Laws. 

In his free time, DLaws enjoys rowing on a nearby pond in his town. He rows with a local group of adults during the first few quiet, early hours of the day–around 5 am–a couple times a week. He also bikes to school each day, and appreciates the tranquility of the campus and surrounding area.

He advises students to stay open-minded and try everything so that they can discover their passions. His story is a case in point: while his high school friends thought he would be a lawyer, Dr. Laws had two great chemistry teachers, and now he is a chemist with a PhD and loves to spread knowledge in his area of expertise. Dr. Laws is sure to fit right into the community at Middlesex, and we are truly grateful to have him. 

Allison Luo