I am an undergraduate at Cornell pursuing a B.S. in International Agriculture & Rural Development (IARD). My long-term aspiration is to deliver improved agricultural and public health outcomes using agronomy principles, geospatial tools, and community-engaged approaches. My current focus is on circular bionutrient economy opportunities in the Lake Victoria basin (Kenya) to address simultaneous eutrophication in the lake and nutrient deficit in surrounding agriculture, primarily through novel sanitation and fertilizer production methods. My research with Prof. Rebecca Nelson at Cornell and with Prof. Charles Midega at Poverty & Health Integrated Solution (PHIS) and Maseno University in Kisumu, Kenya, strives to advance these opportunities.
I was introduced to agriculture at a young age while working for a diversified livestock farm in my hometown, where I gained an appreciation for the scientific method and agricultural research.
I am motivated by exhilarating collaboration, the excitement of being on the cutting edge of agricultural research and development, and agriculture’s vast impact on public and environmental health.
Joel McKeever
Student Employability Officer (Laidlaw Programme Coordinator), Trinity College Dublin
Joel is the Student Employability Officer with the Trinity Careers Service. He manages a range of co-curricular student development projects, including the Trinity Employability Awards and the Laidlaw Programme.
As the Laidlaw coordinator for Trinity he manages leadership development activities, student coaching, programme design, and the day-to-day support of the Laidlaw Scholars.
Prior to joining the Careers Service, he worked in Trinity's Academic Registry as a Team Manager (Communications and Human Resources) with a focus on developing modern and inclusive support services for students and staff. He has previously worked with Trinity's Office of Global Relations to develop the Global Room and Campus Visit initiatives for international students.
He is a founder and current Co-Chair of Trinity's LGBT+ Staff Network and is committed to Trinity's mission of fostering excellence by empowering accessibility and diversity in higher education. A graduate of Trinity, he holds a B.A. (Mod.) in English Studies, a Special Certificate in Academic Practice, and a nominal Master in Arts (Dubl.) from the university as well as a CIPD Diploma in Learning and Development (CIPD).
I am the Programme Manager at LSELife dedicated to providing personal and professional development opportunities and programmes to our students at LSE.
Centre Coordinator, working for Imperial College for over seven years. BA in Journalism. Born in Poland, but feeling like a Citizen of the World with a passion for travelling.
Audrey is Administrative Assistant I of the Horizons Office at the University of Hong Kong. Audrey has been working in the field of international education in Hong Kong since 2010; her portfolio of work spans from programme development and implementation at the undergraduate, postgraduate and faculty level, marketing and promotion, organisation of international conference and events, and providing secretarial support to various committees pertaining to scholarships, fellowships and international mobility schemes.
Her current portfolio includes management of the HKU Laidlaw Scholars Programme, Undergraduate Research Fellowship Programme, short-term experiential learning programmes outside of Hong Kong, and HKU-Common Purpose UK leadership development programmes in Bangalore, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai and Hanoi.
Currently she is setting up two new initiatives, namely EUREKA and The Hong Kong Project, where students will have the opportunities to undertake research methods online course and conduct a EUREKA research project in the former, and collaborate with community partners by proposing practical solutions to real-life problems in the latter.
She graduated with a bachelor's degree in TESL and has an MA (Hons) in Translation from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Colleen Dougherty
Assistant Director, Center for Research & Fellowships, Georgetown University
Colleen manages the Laidlaw Scholars Leadership and Research Programme at Georgetown University. Through her work, Colleen aims to increase accessibility in fellowships advising for all Georgetown students with a special focus on reflective practices intended to help students identify and develop personal and career goals. Prior to joining Georgetown University, Colleen served as the Assistant Director for Early Career Initiatives with NASPA- Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, where she managed professional development programs for undergraduate student, graduate student, and new professional members. Colleen holds a master’s degree in Student Development in Higher Education from the University of Maine and bachelor’s degrees in Women and Gender Studies and Anthropology from the University of Delaware.
Lauren Tuckley is the Director of the Center for Research and Fellowships at Georgetown University.
Dr. Tuckley is dedicated to designing, developing, and administering transformative co-curricular research programs and mentoring Georgetown University students and young alumni competing for national and international fellowships.
In 2023, she received her Ph.D. in Writing and Rhetoric at George Mason University. Her research focuses on genre theory, occluded academic genres, and the rhetorical pedagogy of the personal statement.
In 2016, she was the recipient of a Fulbright International Education Administrators award to Korea. And in 2017, she was a recipient of Georgetown University’s President’s Excellence Award.
Dan-Thi is an enthusiastic professional with +8 years of work experience in strategic marketing, business development and communication within the higher education industry. She currently works at EPFL as a Project Manager for the School enhanced learning programs (incl. the Laidlaw program). Dan-Thi likes all aspects related to her position but what she especially loves is interacting with students and helping them grow personally and professionally.
Dan-Thi has lived in fast-paced environments in Asia (Hong Kong, Japan) and she is now based in Lausanne, Switzerland. She enjoys travelling and always looks for discovering new cultures. She can speak French, English and Vietnamese. You can talk with her about anything regarding food, sport and travel. She is a really bad swimmer and has absolutely no green thumb! :)
I am responsible for international partnerships in education at EPFL and work on the Leadership Program and Leadership in Action components within the EPFL Laidlaw Programme. Before joining EPFL, I worked for 15 years in international development and have thus a particular interest in the LiA part of the Laidlaw programme.
Kelci Jacoby
Assistant Manager, Leadership Framework and Laidlaw Leadership and Research Programme, Durham University
I am an American Expat working at Durham University in the Leadership Framework where I serve as an Assistant Manager. In my role I oversee our Emerging Leadership programmes and am the programme manager for the Durham University Laidlaw Leadership and Research Programme.
I am passionate about creating an inclusive sense of belonging for students, student leadership development, harm reduction, and helping students identify their version of success. I have worked in higher education for the last six years in a variety of functional areas including identity-based advocacy, orientation, transition and retention, fraternity and sorority life, and leadership development. I have a B.A. from Willamette University in American Ethnic Studies and History and a M.S. in Educational Administration with an emphasis in Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education from Texas A&M University (Gig 'em!).
I like to spend my free time fly-fishing, hiking, watching anything in the Star Wars universe, reading, browsing record stores, going to concerts, and finding the best cappuccino in NE England!
Amy K. Somchanhmavong
Associate Director, Community Based learning and Partnership, Cornell University- David M.Einhorn Center for Community Engagement
Kristin began the Laidlaw Leadership and Research Scholars program at Cornell University and was responsible for undergraduate engagement in the Einaudi Center for International Studies. She now provides remote support for Global Cornell. A Cornell alumna, Kristin majored in international agriculture and rural development then worked in agriculture and community development with an NGO in Kenya for six years. Her graduate work focused on community leadership development. Kristin enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with her family (and 3 dogs).
Ariella Lang
Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Director of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships, Columbia University
I am a cultural historian by training, and I oversee undergraduate research and fellowships at Columbia. I also have the pleasure of serving as the coordinator of Columbia's Laidlaw program. Feel free to reach out to me if you have questions about coming to Columbia to pursue research and/or community engagement!
Hello! I've directed the Laidlaw Scholars Program at Brown University since 2023. I care deeply about lifting up the next generation of leaders, change-makers, and engaged scholars to create a more just and equitable world. My PhD is in U.S. History and Gender Studies with a focus on families, childhood and youth. Send me a message if you'd like to connect!
My Clifton Strengths are: Achiever, Relator, Strategic, Learner, Individualization
Hello all! I did my Laidlaw Programme at Durham University between 2019-2021. My research project focused on evaluating the immigration and asylum system of the EU through a case study of the 2015 immigration crisis. Following the completion of my undergraduate LLB degree I moved to London to pursue my postgraduate LLM study at Queen Mary University of London.