Anna Harris (she/her)

Student, St Andrews University
Annie Layhe

Student Researcher, University of St Andrews

I am a fifth-year studying Theoretical Physics at the University of St Andrews. My research is about quantum thermodynamics, more specifically on how a two-level quantum dot behaves in a dissipative environment with memory. I am also the President of the Physics Society, where we aim to foster a strong community and host academic and careers focused events that help the students learn and network. I can usually be found knitting a scarf or two whilst enjoying a good cup of tea.
Zoe Alice Elizabeth Voice

History of Art MA (Hons) Student, University of St Andrews

My research project looks at female artists in Scandinavia at the turn of the 19th century, and so by extension historiography and feminist art history. However, my expertise as an undergraduate I would say is medieval art history, particularly looking at how modern imagination directs our understanding and expectations of medieval religious practice. Outside of academia, I am looking to pursue a career in paper conservation after graduating and so have keen interest in archival practices and conservation methodologies. Safe to say I have a lot of interests, and am always looking to further my understanding in the art world!
Clara Défachel

Alumna of the Laidlaw Scholars Programme, University of St Andrews

I am an alumna of the Laidlaw Programme at the University of St Andrews, where my research project focused on contemporary literature from the Comoros islands. I am currently a PhD researcher in Comparative Literature at the University of St Andrews, where I study recent literary translations produced in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.
Aubrey George

Undergraduate Laidlaw Scholar, Laidlaw Research and Leadership Scholarship

I am a fourth year pursuing a Bachelor of Arts with International Honours in Economics through a joint degree programme integrating The College of William and Mary with The University of St. Andrews. I have studied both International Relations and Economics in depth from an American and British perspective, and have benefitted from each university's respective areas of expertise. My research within Laidlaw has been conducted in the Classics department, which gives testament to my appreciation for interdisciplinary research.
James Samuel

Student, University of Oxford

I am an incoming MPhil candidate in Medieval History at the University of Oxford. Alongside my research specialism of late medieval religious and social history, other interests of mine include social and labour history in the nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries, the history of medieval devotional objects, and nineteenth-century art. My research project was supervised by Drs Amy Blakeway and Jacqueline Rose. Titled 'History, religion and community in North East Fife', my project investigated the history of the village of Kingsbarns using archival material and interviews. My essay was a social history of the area, with a section on historical methodology. This was later supplemented with an oral account of the church in its current form by one of its contemporary administrators. In my second summer, I created and hosted a local history workshop in collaboration with the Boomerang Community Centre in Stobswell, Dundee. This combined archival research with an empowering leadership project, which encouraged participants to continue to investigate historical topics they are passionate about. The workshop was greatly successful, and feedback from the participants was wholly positive.
I'm a 4th Year undergraduate geology student at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, UK. My Laidlaw research is focused primarily on understanding how early life interacted with its environment and how this environment may have in turn impacted upon lives evolution. In summer 2019, I undertook 2 weeks fieldwork in South Africa for my Laidlaw scholarship, collected samples and images. My research scope has adapted as I have continued my Laidlaw journey. I started off by looking at what 2.5 billion-year-old (Ga) rocks can tell us about the chemistry of ancient oceans, but after my fieldwork, I changed my focus to look at even older (3.47 Ga) rocks which contain evidence of some of the oldest life on Earth. I am spending summer 2020 investigating how the organisms preserved in these rocks may have biomineralised magnetic minerals and used these to navigate using Earth's magnetic field. I'm a classic crazy rock person, with a passion for the outdoors, rock music, and extreme sports like whitewater kayaking and mountain biking. I grew up in the Scottish Borders and have spent my life exploring the Scottish Mountains. Geology has taken me all over the world so far, from Greenland to the Alps and the U.A.E., and I'm certainly looking forward to more adventures to come!
Isaac Bateman

Student, St Andrews

Laidlaw Scholar at the University of St Andrews. Studying for an MA in Philosophy and International Relations. Undertaking a leadership in Action Project for WORI (Women's Rights Initiative Uganda) researching de-colonialised methods for NGOs to develop international outreach. My research interests particularly surround political philosophy, critical theory and the construction of political identities. Current Editor in chief of 'Aporia' the St. Andrews undergraduate journal of Philosophy.
Joseph Luke

Student, University of St Andrews

Tom Burdge

Founder, Researcher and Podcast Host, buddhistphilosophy.co.uk

I am the founder of buddhistphilosophy.co.uk where I currently host podcasts with expert guests in Buddhist philosophical practice and theory. With this project, I am to contribute toward correcting the entrenched Eurocentric bias in philosophy by creating an inclusive space for learning about Buddhist philosophy. As a Laidlaw Scholar, I have researched on researched philosophy of time, Buddhist philosophy, and philosophy of language. My research output includes a paper entitled Meaning in Gibberish (forthcoming in Aporia). I have presented this paper and discussed related issues in talks and workshops at the University of St Andrews and the University of Edinburgh. Language learning holds a high in priority in my studies and research. I have studied some Pali (OCBS levels 1 and 2) and I read French fluently. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me if you have any interest in the following: Buddhism, Buddhist philosophy, Ambedkar studies, women and Buddhist philosophy, cross-cultural philosophy, critical theory, French philosophy, Laruelle’s non-philosophy, non-Buddhism, philosophy of nonsense, philosophy of death.
Emma Porter

Student, University of St Andrews

I'm an Ancient History and Archaeology graduate from St Andrews University, and Oxford University. My laidlaw research was in Medieval Heresy and Inquisition, combining practical GIS and mapping skills commonly used in archaeology, textual analysis, and data analysis, to experiment with alternative ways of presenting historical research. However, my current interests lie in studying craft networks and technological exchange in the Ancient Aegean, as well as the influence of marginalised people in the historical record on them.
Aaron Carruthers

Student, St. Andrews

Laura Nebout

Laidlaw Scholar , University of St Andrews

Scholar from the 2018 St Andrews Laidlaw Cohort. My project was under the supervision of Prof. Sabine Hyland in the Department of Social Anthropology, and is entitled "Revolutionary Women in the indigenous revolt of 1783, Peru". I am currently looking into the publication of my research findings, and presented them as a panellist at a conference in York in February 2020. Currently doing an MA in Museum Studies at UCL.
Molly Chung

BSc Mathematics Graduate, University of St Andrews

I'm a BSc Mathematics graduate from the University of St Andrews. My research looks at twelve tone music from an abstract algebra perspective, with the hopes of gaining insight into the thoughts and compositional methods of various composers.
Geraint J. Morgan

MPhil student , Jesus College, Oxford

Geraint Morgan is originally from Pencoed outside Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr (Bridgend) in South Wales and is a MPhil candidate in Mediaeval History at Jesus College, Oxford. Prior to that, they completed their undergraduate degree in Mediaeval History at the University of St Andrews, having arrived to read Geography. Their principal interest is in understanding how medieval people perceived their environments. Whilst thier work to date has mostly focused on pre-conquest Welsh cultural and social histories, they are keen to work transnationally and collaboratively. Whilst an undergraduate at St Andrews, Geraint completed a Laidlaw Research project focusing on the role of women in High Medieval Welsh society.
Irvine Laidlaw

Chair, The Irvine Laidlaw Foundation

Lord Laidlaw is a committed philanthropist, serial entrepreneur, and accomplished sportsman. A graduate of Leeds University and Columbia Business School, Lord Laidlaw founded the Institute for International Research Ltd (IIR) which became the world’s largest conference and training company. He sold it in 2005 for $1.4bn to Informa Plc. He has since gone on to build a large property company and invest extensively in sustainable energy, including the Veja Mate Offshore Wind Farm where he was the majority owner. His most recent project is building a renewable power resource in Rwanda. Lord Laidlaw was one of the very earliest business leaders to see diversity in his management team as an important strength. His leadership team had a majority of women and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Lord Laidlaw believes passionately that performance should be rewarded and was a pioneer in sharing profits with his employees. A committed internationalist, he considers it vital for the next generation of leaders to have and understand global connections. His generous philanthropy, funding academies and scholarships, centres on two core beliefs; firstly that inspirational education can break the cycle of poverty, and secondly the need for a new generation of diverse, passionate and adaptive leaders with a world view. The Women in Business movement that Lord Laidlaw funds, both helps to build a more diverse future leadership and pays tribute to the many women who helped make IIR so successful.
Yukiko Braun

Student, Research Assistant and Content Creator, University of St Andrews

Emma Franck-Gwinnell

Associate (Dispute Resolution), Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP

Hello! I'm Emma, a 2017 Undergraduate Leadership & Research Programme alumna and one of the Founding Co-Presidents of the Laidlaw Alumni Society. My 2017 Undergraduate Research project focused on UK legislation which requires certain organisations to publish an annual statement about the efforts they are making to stop modern slavery in their supply chains. In particular, I looked at whether this legislation was really making a difference in the fight against modern slavery in supply chains. At the time, I concluded that the legislation was largely ineffective - however, you'll be pleased to know that, just a few years later, topics such as modern slavery in supply chains have risen much further up the corporate agenda (for various reasons largely unrelated to the UK legislation). These days, I work as a lawyer. For the first few years of my career, I advised corporate clients on ESG disputes and regulation (including matters relating to modern slavery statements!). I am about to start a new, exciting chapter of my legal career, working to develop two nuclear projects which will help the UK to achieve net zero by 2050 and ensure that its energy supply is secure.
Paul Hanna

Multimedia Artist and Creative, YouTube

I'm a graduate of Columbia University ('23!), where I studied Film. I used to work at Google as a growth strategist, and at YouTube as a content strategist. My current work centers on multimedia and multidisciplinary art, blending media experiments, writing, and ongoing film projects. During the Laidlaw Fellowship, I examined Napoleon's influence on the political attitudes present in Le rouge et le noir by Stendhal and War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. The following year, I worked in business development for Tortoise Media, a news publication based out of London. Feel free to reach out and connect!
Lottie Emily Doherty

Student , University of St Andrews

Steph Coulter

Laidlaw Scholar, University of St Andrews

Currently a Laidlaw Scholar at the University of St Andrews conducting research into populism in Hungary. My research project is titled "Heroes and villains; Orban, Soros and the performance of populism in contemporary Hungary". Conceptualising populism as a political style, I am utilising dramaturgical methodology to examine how the Hungarian billionaire financier George Soros is constructed as a societal "villain" as part of Hungarian PM Viktor Orban's populist political performance. I am currently working towards completion of a research paper with the view of academic publication.