Edward Hart (He/Him)

Graduate, Durham University
Trisha Bhujle

Laidlaw Scholar, Laidlaw Foundation

Hello! I’m Trisha, a fourth-year student at Cornell University from Texas, USA. I’m majoring in Environment and Sustainability with a dual focus on food systems and wildlife conservation, and minoring in International Relations. My interests in combining my enduring passions for writing and wildlife conservation have driven me to explore multiple perspectives on highly-controversial issues such as trophy hunting, retaliatory animal killings, and illegal wildlife crime. Thus, during my first summer as a Laidlaw Scholar and as a member of the Morally Contested Conservation team, I wrote a literature review on the interconnectedness of climate change and human-wildlife conflicts in East and southern Africa. In June and July 2024, I furthered this research by traveling to the University of Oxford and to the Burunge Wildlife Management Area in Tanzania. I will be returning to Oxford and Burunge in June and July 2025 to report my results.  As an aspiring environmental policymaker and journalist, I am passionate about making technical scientific information more accessible to the general public. At Cornell, I am an Institute of Politics and Global Affairs Scholar, through which I interact with policymakers monthly to discuss pervasive issues in international politics. I also speak Marathi, Spanish, and Swahili at varying levels of fluency and plan to continue to grow my language skills to communicate environmental issues across continents and cultures.  For fun, I love to turn even the most mundane materials into recycled art, spend hours on end working through jigsaw puzzles, and go for runs while listening to podcasts. And as a diehard foodie who loves to travel, I’m always looking for recommendations of places to visit or new recipes to try!  The Laidlaw Scholars Program has been an invaluable component of my undergraduate experience. The friendships I’ve made, as well as the research and language skills I’ve begun to develop, have encouraged me to continue to ask and seek answers to complicated questions about global affairs and environmental science. If anyone has questions or feedback about the Laidlaw Program, is interested in collaborating, or just wants to say hello, please feel free to email me at trb238@cornell.edu. I hope we can meet in person someday!
Hannah Lawless

Biological Sciences Student and Clinical Research Scientist, Durham University

Hi, I'm Hannah and i'm a Biological Sciences student at Durham University. My research project was focused on exploring the neuroscience of bumble bees and their visual and olfactory attraction to flowers, and identifying differences between sex and species. My LiA is with Make_Sense Americas and is a collaboration with a start-up recycling plant, processing hard to recycle materials and trying to achieve a more circular economy. During my free time I love reading, improving my level of Spanish and learning how to code.
James Buckley

Student, Durham University

Hi! I am a first year student at Durham University studying Natural Sciences, with particular interests in ecology, physical geography and coding. My research project was with the geography department at Durham and involved looking at data from bedrock rivers in North America from a geomorphological perspective. In my spare time I play badminton, sing opera and bake and have been trying to take on some lower level leadership roles to practice the skills I'm learning in this program.
Abbie Cockerton

Undergraduate Scholar , Durham University

I am a geography student interested in climate change and the environment. My research project focuses on the oceans and using knowledge of past climatic changes to better predict and model future changes with a particular focus on the Agulhas current.
I am a second year student at Durham University studying for an integrated Master’s in Mathematics and Physics. My research project is on whether nuclear power can be made enviromentally freindly whilst remaining efficent and cost effective.
Lam Lok To Cherry

Student, The University of Hong Kong

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!
Maria Valenstain

Student Researcher, University of York

I am an undergraduate Laidlaw Scholar studying Philosophy and Politics at the University of York. I am very interested in climate education. My project investigates collective responsibility regarding climate change in the primary years of school.
Doria

Student , Durham University

I am interested in climate change and how it will affect our environment, in particular, the effects it will have on our oceans. In the future I hope to model and predict the changes that climate change will cause to aid the adaptation and mitigation required to combat this global problem. Currently, I am in my first year of my undergraduate degree studying Geoscience.
Lauren Powdrell

Student, Durham University

Hello! I am interested in Children's Literature and its effect on its readers. For my research project, I am looking at Ghanaian Children's Literature. In the future, I would love to broaden this to Children's Literature Around the World.
Emily Glynn

Student , Durham University

Interested in the interplay between History and Politics and the damaging effect History can have when abused in our political climate.
Alexander John Lea

Student studying Physics and Chemistry, Durham University

Laidlaw Research and Leadership Scholar. Fourth year undergraduate student at Durham university, studying for a Master's in physics and chemistry. The research has two strands. Firstly, to model the physical interactions between two membrane-bound organelles which are separated by a droplet (a droplet is defined as a membrane-less organelle herein). Secondly, to model the formation of droplets on flexible membranes. A joint approach of mathematical theory and computational modelling is being applied. The computational model is coded using the Python programming language. It is anticipated that the first research strand will determine whether membrane-bound organelles can be glued together by droplets, thereby providing a non-specific membrane adhesion mechanism. Comprehension of this mechanism is crucial for understanding how cells organise and function. A report on this strand (carried out in summer 2019) has not been published as this research has not yet obtained results. However, this work will be continued by a PhD student starting autumn 2020. The second strand will investigate the feasibility of droplet formation on intracellular surfaces, thereby challenging the current paradigm that droplet formation is not a surface phenomenon. This work will be further developed by a Masters student starting autumn 2020. This research will provide a quantitative insight into cellular organisation and function, which may have important consequences in better understanding how to treat diseases of the brain due to ageing, neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Outside of my studies I enjoy board-games, hill-walking and science outreach.