Ania Bajerska

Laidlaw Undergraduate Research Scholar, St Andrews
Marcelina Lekawska

Student, University of St Andrews

Yukiko Braun

Student, Research Assistant and Content Creator, 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.
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.
Louisa Janice Kamajaya

PhD Student, King's College London

I'm a PhD student under the Wellcome Trust Neuro-Immune Interactions in Health and Disease Program. I am an alum of the Undergraduate Leadership & Research Programme in University of York.
Laoise Rogers

Undergraduate student at the University of St. Andrew's

Riccardo Bonzano

R&D Analyst, Pacific Life Re

Hello! I'm Riccardo, Laidlaw Scholar of the 2019 cohort. I'm passionate about technology and how it can aid our transition to a more ethical and sustainable society. My Undergraduate Scholarship research focused on the  theoretical side of quantum computing: the physics of open dissipative quantum systems. These days, I work as R&D analyst, quantifying financial risk and developing models, tools and processes to extract information from insurance data.
Hannah Pedone

Student, University of St Andrews

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!
Rebekah Cathcart

Master Student, London School of Economics & Political Science

Ole Jorgensen

Laidlaw Scholar - Mathematics, St. Andrews

Finlay Langham (she/her)

Student, University of St Andrews

I'm a third-year student at St Andrews studying English! My research is into spoken word poetry and its connection to politics, particularly in Edinburgh (it's a bit niche but I love it). I am also part of the feminist society and a public face of Nightline. I love to meet new people and bake what is objectively too much shortbread at odd hours.
Benjamin C.H. Kao

Student, University of St. Andrews

Incoming Fourth Year (Senior) Student at the University of St Andrews studying MA Sustainable Development and Social Anthropology. Laidlaw Research Project on Care, Emptiness, and Japanese Society in Persona 5 Royal. Leadership in Action Project on Volunteering in Local Communities.
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.
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.
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.
Mathilde Roze

Student, University of St Andrews

I am a tertian undergraduate student of Physics and Mathematics, University of St Andrews, Scotland. With a background in biology, my interests lie in rewilding, quantum biology, and integrated ecological restoration (think a mixture of art history, mathematical modelling, biodiverisity surveying, &c.&c.). I am an avid hiker; some of my fondest memories are of climbing Mt Chimborazo while volunteering in Ecuador, running wild in the bush in my home country, New Zealand, and exploring the French Pyrenees. When not tackling differential equations or mountains, I indulge in painting and writing poetry.
Charlie Rogers (she/her)

Student, University of St Andrews

Hi! My name is Charlie I’m born and raised in Australia but am currently doing my bachelor’s degree in the UK at the University of St Andrews studying International Relations and Psychology. During my time at university, I have also studied Arabic and Italian and in the future, I would love to work in political psychology helping to develop human rights, and climate action policy and campaigns. My research project is, therefore, looking at social identity and climate change reform as I aim to investigate how environmentalism is represented and the extent to which it encourages or marginalises groups from collective action. So if you are also working on something like this or know an expert in the field please get in touch, I would love to hear from you! I'm a diligent worker and have worked in a variety of positions in hospitality, environmentalism, and communications. This includes being a public speaking and debating coach, a legal administrative assistant and a research assistant at Licella, a renewable energies firm. I am passionate about the environment and protecting our planet and love spending time in the outdoors. In my free time, I enjoy cooking and inventing new recipes! My friends describe me as a bit of an amateur chef but otherwise, I love being active and sail competitively for my University team as well as surfing when I'm at home. I would describe myself as adventurous, extroverted, pro-active and open-minded. Having done a fair amount of solo travelling in the past I am capable of being independent and self-sufficient, however, I thrive in groups and love learning from other people’s experiences and expertise.