Alumni Profile: Laura Gould and Daughters Lily, AJ, and Gracie Crandall

Violet pride runs deep for this NYU alumni family. 

Laura Gould (BS ’90, Physical Therapy; MS ’95, Biomechanics and Ergonomics) graduated from Steinhardt in the ’90s and has since built a career studying sudden unexplained deaths in children at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine; in 2023, she graduated with another master’s in clinical investigations from Grossman. 

Laura’s three daughters, Lily, Abigail Jean (AJ), and Gracie followed in her footsteps and are also NYU alums—each passionate about the work that they do and always looking for ways to learn more about their niche interests. 

Lily (BS ’20, Media, Culture, and Communication) now works as a program administrator for ITP/IMA at NYU Tisch School of the Arts and credits her impactful time there during grad school with her desire to stay at NYU professionally. AJ works in research at the Lugo Lab at the New York State Psychiatric Institute/Columbia University and plans to continue in STEM education fields in the future. Gracie (BS ’24, Communicative Sciences and Disorders) works in vocational services at Lexington Center for the Deaf and thrives on seeing her clients succeed in their own jobs, creating opportunities for further education and collaboration with employers.

Growing up in proximity to New York, the Crandall sisters were ready to dive into the experiences and opportunities living in the city would afford. Whether through creative coding, arts and crafts, digital animation projects, knitting and crocheting, or even scuba diving this family remains curious and excited about all that life has to offer. NYU has been a common step in helping them achieve their dreams; read on to learn what else has fueled their passions and inspired their work in preventative research, disability advocacy, and more. 

Read their full Q&A with NYU News.