Hi all! My name is Rachel, and I am a junior in the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. I am majoring in International Politics with a concentration in Security Studies. I am also pursuing a minor in Justice and Peace Studies and a certificate in Diplomatic Studies. Originally, I am from Michigan, and in my free time I enjoy painting, swimming, and reading.  This summer my faculty mentored project is titled Geopolitical Analysis for Maps of the Modern World, and I have conducted my research under the supervision of Mark Giordano, who is a Professor of Geography and the Vice Dean for Undergraduate Affairs at Georgetown. The project focuses on Central Asia, and the ways in which the region is increasingly becoming a center of international politics and trade. It explores this phenomenon by investigating increasing foreign interest in the region through mapping. Ultimately, this project seeks to understand the causes, signs, and impacts of increasing foreign influence in Central Asia.

School of Classics President | Laidlaw Scholar | Foreign Affairs Review Analyst | 4x State Department Intern

I was fortunate enough to conduct academic research under the supervision of Stephen Gethins,  Professor of Practice in International Relations at the University of St Andrews and now a sitting MP. Stephen introduced me to a truly fascinating yet often overlooked area of International Relations: sub-state and regional actors and their place in global politics, with a focus on Scotland in particular. Through this, I have developed an interest in Scotland's place in the world as a nation without an independent foreign office, but as a nation with extensive international influence and a powerful global diaspora. This topic formed the basis of my Laidlaw project, my undergraduate and postgraduate dissertation, and my PhD. I take a keen interested in other academic fields such as politics, history, and philosophy. Although an International Relations and Sociology student first and foremost, I had the opportunity of studying Ancient History and Classics alongside my degree for two years. If I were to ever win the lottery, you would find me endlessly cycling University, spending my remaining days studying Ancient History and Philosophy, Politics, Anthropology, Theology, Theoretical Physics and Maths, or whatever subject I develop an interest in down the line. Since leaving the University of St Andrews and the Laidlaw Programme, I completed an MRes degree at the University of Glasgow in Sociology and Research Methods. I received a scholarship for a PhD in Sociology at the University of Glasgow which I am completing part-time in addition to my role as Research Officer at Carers Trust Scotland - a charity supporting unpaid carers which I had previously volunteered for. My PhD is a continuation of my Scottish diaspora studies, seeking to reconcile the notion of 'civic Scottishness' with the Scottish identity of the lived diaspora.  

I am a Physics student at the University of St Andrews excited about theoretical physics and its applications to industry. I quite like programming as well, and seeing where code can be used to model physics. I also have an interest in improving the speed with which the latest scientific developments can be implemented into humanitarian aid. 

Sustainable Development student at the University of St Andrews (Class of 2024) and UWC Alumna. My research focuses on exploring pathways to sustainability in the fashion industry, assessing the potential of circular economy models and thinking to address the unsustainability of current production and consumption patterns. 

Hello! My name is Eleanor Campbell, and I am a 2021 Laidlaw Scholar. I am a student at Columbia University in the City of New York, and I am originally from Raleigh, NC, USA. I major in Economics and am particularly interested in Behavioral Economics. During my first year with Laidlaw, I worked with Professor Hitendra Wadhwa of the Columbia Business School in developing a leadership fellowship for aspiring young changemakers. For my Leadership in Action project, I worked with World Vision on a menstrual hygiene management campaign in West Gonja, Ghana.

Hello! I was Laidlaw scholar in 2019, and I studied national, regional, and local identity in northern Tajikistan through the lens of women's fashion.  For a year after graduating, I worked for the UN Mine Action Service which removes landmines from conflict and post-conflict regions. I then worked for the Laidlaw Foundation 2021-22 and completed a Master's Degree in Anthropology and Development Management at the London School of Economics. Now I'm working with the UN on innovative finance for biodiversity conservation, focusing on marine ecosystems. Please feel free to reach out on the network, on LinkedIn, or by email. I'm always happy to meet new people and chat.

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!

I'm currently 2/6th of the way to becoming a doctor 👩🏻‍⚕️   Studying medicine at The University of St Andrews means not only a great uni but also beautiful surroundings. I have interests in: lifestyle medicine, psychiatry, infectious diseases and emergency medicine. My dream is to become an expedition medic. Ask me what I'm reading just now I love to wild swim 🏊🏻‍♀️, wanna go?

Hi there! My name is Asha, and I am a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Toronto, where I study global health, political science, and psychology.  I was part of the 2021 Laidlaw Scholars cohort at UofT — my research summer focused on determinants of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among ethnocultural minority communities in Canada, and my Leadership-in-Action project was with Tortoise Media in London, UK.  I'm always eager to chat about topics in global health, particularly public health policy, planetary health, and health equity! 

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 second-year student at the University of St Andrews, pursuing a Joint Honours Degree in Economics and Sustainable Development. My vision is to enable more sustainability-oriented initiatives through financial tools and market-based solutions. One of my other interests is literature, that is why my summer research project is an attempt to understand the representation of nature in current children’s environmental literature and define the relationships between “nature literacy”, education, sustainability and social transition. Outside of my studies I enjoy staying active (water sports are my favourite) and baking.

I am a psychology student at Durham University. I am interested in the field of social psychology and its relation with our environment.

I am a first year chemistry PhD student at the University of St Andrews, interested in many fields of chemistry, but particularly areas within inorganic and physical chemistry. My research project is supervised by Dr. Petr Kilian focusing on the synthesis and characterisation of peri-substituted aromatic systems. These previously un characterised compounds have many applications within green chemistry, particularly within catalysis.