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.
Hi! I'm an undergraduate scholar from the University of Toronto and am interested in inclusion and mental health. With my research project, I hope to explore how we improve mental health support and treatments to make them more accessible and inclusive of Canadian Muslims. Beyond my research interests, I enjoy connecting with people and learning from people's diverse backgrounds and unique experiences. I'm a keen listener and love learning new things!
Hello there! My name is Aly, and I am a British undergraduate student at the University of Toronto, currently doing an International Affairs Specialist, with a Minor in Sustainability.
My research project is → Linking Political orientation and Environmentalism: An analysis of changing environmental attitudes and subsequent party support in Canada. In my project, I aim to analyze the changing link between environmental attitudes and party support/political orientation in Canada, using Canadian Election Studies data from 2015 and 2019, and comparing my results with results from a previous study which carried out similar analysis on data from the 2004 and 2006 elections. I also hope to inform my analysis with a discussion of provincial differences in these links, hoping to shine a light on possible avenues towards improving engagement with voters for provincial elections which may help Canada in its terrible track record on improving its environment.
This summer under the auspices of the Laidlaw Scholars Program I will be researching Hippocratic works and other texts from ancient Greek medical discourse in order to ask questions around female agency and challenges to the female body. How are female bodies governed? How are bodies feminized in medical discourse? If one can consider a body as an object from which forces of political, social, and psychological agency or governance emerge, how does a body’s female identity confound this? I am interested in how material bodies are formed and gendered, how they are a site of biological or social domains. It is through medical writings and interrogating perceptions of the ancient Greek body that one may more clearly understand what elements of the human experience are valued.
I am a graduate of (BA) History of Art with Material Studies from University College London. My long-term research interests are on Philippine Studies, with a particular focus on all aspects of Filipino art history, culture, heritage and identities. I am also keen on studying about Filipino diaspora studies.
The Laidlaw Scholarship has provided me with an opportunity for me to re-discover and explore my own cultural heritage. For my independent research project I spent my time in the Philippines, where I travelled around Manila and Ilocos Norte to connect with cultural advocators, social enterprises and local weavers to explore the current developments and insights into the future of Philippine textiles.
My experiences as a Laidlaw Scholar has therefore encouraged me to further pursue a career in researching about the development of contemporary art in the Philippines, the survival of the traditional arts as well, and perhaps set up a creative cultural enterprise of my own that seeks to support grassroot collectives.
I also have experience some experience in art conservation, cataloguing and archiving, given my time volunteering for UCL Special Collections as well becoming a Conservation Assistant at the renowned Hamilton Kerr Institute.
I am also part of a committee of like-minded students who has set a leading example in promoting the Filipino culture and identity across the UK, in the form of an annual Festival. As the former Chief Operations Officer of FiliFest, and the current Head of Culture Team and part of Operations Team - I have great experience in project management.
My experiences as a first-generation Filipino in the UK, and as a BAME student in London’s international university - I acknowledge some of the privileges and inequalities that one can encounter throughout their university experience. I am glad to have pursued the Laidlaw Scholarship - it has opened a lot of doors for my own personal development: for it has allowed me to embrace my own culture and make representing it my passion, advocacy and ambition.
Hello! I've been part of the Laidlaw Foundation for over 4 years, working on strengthening our global community and broadening our initiatives aimed at breaking the cycle of poverty, reducing inequality, and cultivating a new generation of leaders.
I'm currently completing a Masters in Anthropology & Professional Practice at UCL, delving into my passion for using ethnographic methods and design to effect systemic change, particularly in the education sector. My journey in design has been diverse, beginning with graphic design, transitioning into UX/UI and service design, and now evolving into systemic design and innovation.
Originally from Kazakhstan 🇰🇿, I pursued my undergraduate degree in Human Sciences at UCL. I'm an amateur naturalist, avid swimmer, and an obsessive podcast listener. Let's connect and chat—drop me a line and find me on LinkedIn! 💬👀
I'm a graduate of Columbia University ('23!), where I studied Film and Political Science. I currently work at Google in New York City, and am applying to graduate programs that focus on the intersection between technology and the arts.
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!
Student of Latin America and critical theory.
I am interested in opportunities in Public Health, medical sciences, and fields that will challenge me to grow in leadership, versatility, and problem-solving abilities.
Looking for opportunities that will help me grow as a professional, intellectual, and individual. I am invested in Public Global Health and issues around capacity and policy building in Low and Middle Income Countries.
I am a student at Columbia University studying Political Science and Statistics. I am interested in the intersections between data, people, and the environment.
Hello! I'm Reuben, an Art History and Film student researching 'The Sonic Body: Technology, Embodiment, Gender' with the University of St Andrews and Trinity College Dublin. I am also a student filmmaker and illustrator, and host 'The Theory of Everything Podcast' for StAR Radio.
I am a final-year undergraduate scholar pursuing a BA (Hons) in English Literature and Linguistics at the University of York. Besides being a scholar, I am the Arts and Humanities Subject Lead on the Scholar's Network and the 2020-22 Arts and Humanities faculty rep at the University of York! My first summer of research was based in phonetics, entitled 'The untapped potential of human language: Investigating the perception of typologically unattested and rare sounds'. In it, I get to look at phonemes that are not commonly found in speech, if at all!
My Leadership in Action project was based around the experiences of students with disabilities and long-term health conditions when accessing Higher Education in the UK. I'm currently creating teacher training based on the paper I wrote for this project, and working with UCAS to help inform UK university admissions policy.
I was an undergraduate scholar at Tufts University from 2019-2021, and am now a master's student in medieval studies at Yale University. My research for Laidlaw focused on the English Investiture Controversy, a 12th century conflict between English King Henry I and Pope Paschal II, and an important predecessor to the English Reformation. I'm passionate about the way historical politics and diplomacy can inform modern policy, and also the way power is created, cemented, and used by ruling elite. I also have a deep interest in broadening the scope of history. Instead of focusing on one time and place, I want to develop broad connections across cultures to understand both the human condition and the trends of human civilization. No historical event was inevitable, and comparative history is essential to understanding how and why certain cultures have come to dominate others. This, in turn, is essential to dismantling the power structures which remain today, and creating a more equitable world.
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.
A graduate of Cambridge University, Susanna’s professional experience includes over 15 years in senior leadership roles in international B2B and learning businesses. Susanna began her career at the Institute for International Research (IIR) where she first worked with Lord Laidlaw, rising to Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). When IIR, which was the world’s largest organiser of commercial conferences, was acquired by Informa plc in 2005 Susanna was appointed CMO of the enlarged group and also led the public company’s investor relations programmes. She subsequently joined Emap Ltd as Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer and CEO of Emap Networks, that group’s conferences business. Later she became CEO of the fashion industry forecaster WGSN and was latterly Group Content and Marketing Partner of the leading strategy consultancy Brunswick Group. A German-American raised and educated in the UK and a committed internationalist, Susanna has been involved in globally trading businesses throughout her career, directing activity in the Americas, across continental Europe, and the Asia Pacific. Susanna has been extensively involved with education and professional development over many years. She was Head of Group Training and led the commercial acquisition and integration of a portfolio of corporate training businesses whilst at IIR; and created learning academies at both Informa and Emap. She believes experiencing and appreciating different cultures promotes better global understanding, creativity and leadership. She is passionate about the power of education to transform lives; and believes that we need to develop a new generation of diverse leaders who are curious, bold and devoted to decency, truthfulness, and innovation. Susanna is committed to diversity not only as a societal imperative but as a critical component of commercial success. As an advisor to the trustees of the Foundation, Susanna first learnt about its purpose and programmes before becoming its Chief Executive responsible for the Laidlaw Schools Trust, the Laidlaw Scholars and its other education programmes. Susanna read English and Philosophy at Newnham College, University of Cambridge. She has five half blues in swimming and water polo; and played netball and rowed for Newnham.
Economics scholar researching my own alternative to GDP!