Joel McKeever
Equality Officer (Laidlaw Programme Coordinator 2018-2024), Trinity College Dublin
Joel was the Laidlaw Programme Coordinator for Trinity (2018 - 2024). In this role he managed leadership development activities, student coaching, programme design, and the day-to-day support of the Laidlaw Scholars. He is currently the Equality Officer for Trinity, and works to promote equity, belonging, and non-discrimination for Trinity staff, students, and the wider Trinity community, in all areas of university life and with particular regard to the protected grounds in equality legislation. He has previously worked in a range of higher education development roles including student services and global engagement.
In 2026 he is a supervisor for a Laidlaw Scholar research project entitled 'A Class Education: How does Trinity engage with class and socioeconomic status in 2026?'.
He is a founder and current Co-Chair of Trinity's LGBTIQ+ Staff Network and is committed to Trinity's mission of fostering excellence and creating social good by championing an accessible, diverse higher education environment. A graduate of Trinity, he holds a B.A. (Mod.) in English Studies, and further qualifications in Learning, Development and Coaching (CIPD), EDI Policy and People; Teaching, Learning and Assessment for Academic Practice (TCD), and as a Certified Student Affairs Educator (HECSAC).
Trinity College Dublin joined the Laidlaw Network in 2018. The Laidlaw Programme offers undergraduate students at Trinity the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills, and experience to become active global citizens and future leaders.
Laidlaw Scholars work with an academic supervisor on a self-directed, independent research project and take part in a suite of integrated leadership development activities which culminate in a challenging applied leadership experience. Laidlaw Scholars join a community of learning, driven by curiosity and collaboration, which enables diverse voices to make a meaningful impact.
The Laidlaw Programme at Trinity is open to undergraduates in the second year of a four year programme or the second/third year of a five year undergraduate/integrated masters programme.
I am a graduate of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering at the University of Rwanda. I am also the STEM Subject Lead. My Laidlaw research project is about bringing a system that could help minimize the number of high-school and primary students who bring cell phones to school since it's one of the major sources of distraction. I did my Master's degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University Africa, majoring in Cybersecurity and Data Science.
My research is in the area of mathematical environmental science, and focuses on using applied mathematics to explore how the life cycles of plants are affected by climate change.
Hi there! I am studying the Bachelor of Science in both Molecular Biology & Biotechnology and Food & Nutritional Science. Doing and learning from research are of interest to me for better understanding of the world and unprecedented benefits to humanity of all kinds. Feel free to exchange knowledge and ideas with me!
I am in my final year studying PPES (Philosophy, Politics, Economics and Sociology) specialising in Politics and Sociology.
Gráinne Sexton
Graduate of English Literature and History, School of English, Trinity College Dublin
Graduate of English Literature and History at Trinity College Dublin. Alumnus of the Laidlaw Undergraduate Research and Leadership Programme (2019).
My Laidlaw research explored the nature of borders and boundaries in the literature of Native American communities, with a particular focus on the work of contemporary author Leslie Marmon Silko. The project involved collaboration with leading scholars of Native American studies from across the United Kingdom and United States. I additionally wrote a final-year dissertation on Indigenous strategies of resistance to environmental injustice in the work of Silko.
Project title: An investigation of the efferent pathways of the amygdala in Major Depressive Disorder using high resolution, multimodal MRI
Hello! I am a penultimate year French and Politics student at the University of Leeds with the drive and tenacity to effect positive change on a global scale. My research focuses on identifying West African resistance fighters in the Second World War. I have also developed a keen interest in the Francophone world, French philosophy and Post-colonial Feminist security studies.
I’m a Laidlaw Undergraduate Programme alum turned management consultant. I studied psychology in my undergraduate degree and conducted my research on immigrant children’s experience and factors influencing their wellbeing. I now specialise in People and Change transformation projects.