Hello! I'm Hani, a rising junior studying Mechanical Engineering at New York University Abu Dhabi.
I am an undergraduate at Columbia University, currently studying Chemistry & Human Rights.
Hi! I’m Sophie Kleina, a Psychological and Behavioural Sciences student at the University of Cambridge.
I’m passionate about language learning and preservation, which is why my Laidlaw research project focuses on the Kashubian language- a regional and Indigenous language of northern Poland, and a heritage I’m proud to be part of.
My academic interests span sociology, linguistics, psychology, and education, and I’m especially drawn to work that supports cultural diversity, educational access, and meaningful social change. I care deeply about doing work that helps people, strengthens communities, and protects the richness of human language and identity.
I’m always eager to learn from others and collaborate on projects that make a difference- feel free to connect!
Hello! I am an incoming third year at the University of St Andrews, studying Mathematics and Computer Science.
My summer 1 research focus was on applying Bayesian networks to electroencephalography (EEG) data. My research poster was presented at the 2025 Global Laidlaw Scholars Conference in Durham, where it was selected by Taylor & Francis to be published.
My summer 2 Leadership in Action project is based in Hinohara village, Japan. I am partnering with Satoyama School Tokyo to support their ongoing efforts in learning, preserving, and sharing the traditions of a "satoyama" lifestyle: an old, nature-focused way of living in mountain villages.
I'm a second year MEng Chemical Engineering student at Imperial College London.
My Laidlaw project compares electrification and CCUS pathways for industrial decarbonisation, supervised by Dr. Bakkaloglu at Imperial. Last year I coordinated a project across four universities with Rolls-Royce SMR on integrating high temperature gas reactors with desalination and ammonia production.
Before Imperial I took a gap year and backpacked through 50+ countries solo, mostly on overland routes. That is where my emerging markets focus came from.
Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Melody Matavire is a prospective Physics and Data Science major with a deep passion for both STEM and social impact. While science and technology shape much of my academic interests, I have also become increasingly aware of the social challenges that continue to affect communities and shape people’s lives in lasting ways.
One issue that is especially close to my heart is early teen pregnancy and school dropouts. Growing up, I witnessed how situations like these can alter the trajectory of young people’s futures, particularly for girls whose educational opportunities become limited long before they are able to fully explore their potential. Through the Laidlaw Scholars Programme, I hope to research how comprehensive sexual education can be used as a practical and culturally relevant tool to address early teen pregnancies and reduce school dropout rates.
Beyond academics and research, I enjoy exploring new experiences, asking too many questions, and finding connections between science, society, and everyday life, otherwise you can also find me in the kitchen cooking whilst singing.
Hi, I am Fabio, a Physics student at EPFL, in Switzerland !
I am passionate about discovering how the universe works and how we can use this knowledge to improve our lives.
In my free time, I love playing music, of all kind (jazz, orchestral, brass, ...), and improvising, I also enjoy reading, writing and being in nature.
Feel free to reach out to me, if you want to talk :)
Hello ! I am Mattheo, a 17 year old French mathematics student at EPFL. Besides doing maths, I love cooking (@grosporc77 on Instagram) and I play the electric guitar. Don't hesitate to contact me !
Hey ! I'm Arthur, a second year student at EPFL, currently studying physics. I love learning how things around me work, especially in physics and mathematics. I can't wait to meet lots of new people through the Laidlaw program ! I'm currently doing my internship at LASTRO, an astrophysics lab, and work on developping technologies (such as quantum computers and physics informed neural networks) to study the properties of dark matter.
I love playing sports (running, hiking, tennis) and as a long time drummer, I also enjoy playing/listening to music. I am also open to any new experience, so feel free to reach out to me :)
Hello! My name is Rowena, I am an undergraduate at UCL studying Sustainable Built Environment, Energy and Resources. It is an honour to study at the QS ranking’s #1 university in the UK for sustainability and the Bartlett School which is the #1 faculty in the world for built environment studies.
I am passionate about sustainability and strive to combine academic research with real-world impact through quantitative and qualitative analysis, policy evaluations and environmental advocacy. My Laidlaw research builds on my previous work on Biodiversity Net Gain and its impact on sustainable housing of which a summary was published in the Harmony Journal in 2024. I am keen to pursue a meaningful career in sustainable finance consultancy.
In school I was recognised for my academic achievements with the International Gold Medal at Ireland’s Young Economist of the Year competition, a certificate of commendation from Fitzwilliam College, University of Cambridge in their economics essay competition and a feature on BBC Radio and ITV News at Reading Schools’ Model UN COP27.
Beyond academics, I am an active leader and environmental advocate. At UCL, I serve as a Green Impact Strategy Ambassador and Academic Representative, attending conferences, forums and committee meetings on a regular basis to ensure my peers’ voices are heard. I also love the performing arts, having directed and acted in multiple theatre productions as House Captain at school and playing the organ and singing in my church choir.
I thrive in dynamic, high-pressure environments and am always looking for opportunities to drive meaningful, sustainable change. My goal as a Laidlaw Scholar is to merge research, technology and policy to creative innovative solutions for our global future.
Hi! My name is Freya, and I'll be doing my research on defining the geotechnical properties of Lunar simulant regolith so that when we begin to create high fidelity infrastructure replicas here on Earth ( whether that be a road, a building or a launchpad) we can predict how the surface will change based on these loads! Aside from all things space, I do a MEng in Engineering and Architectural design, with an interest in small space architecture (such as space habitation) and multifunctional/modularity within spaces. I'm also interested in Japanese architecture, spending my gap year living and working in Tokyo whilst also developing my Japanese to N3 intermediate (plus I love 7/11 and all the Konbini's haha).
👋 Hi, I’m Aimee! I study Architectural&Interdisciplinary Studies BSc at UCL and am passionate about exploring how art and design can connect creativity with research and community.
As a Laidlaw Scholar, my first year project focused on building the first digital exhibition for the Paris Summer School, combining my interests in design and storytelling with leadership in collaborative projects.
Hello! I’m Trisha, a graduate of Cornell University from Texas, USA. I majored in Environment and Sustainability with a dual focus on food systems and wildlife conservation, and minored 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, and returned 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. I 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.
The Laidlaw Scholars Program was an invaluable component of my undergraduate experience. The friendships I made, as well as the research and language skills I began to develop, 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 trisha.bhujle@gmail.com!
I am extremely excited to be a member of this community and to share with you the wonderful journey the Laidlaw Foundation takes me on. My research project concerns the existence of the death penalty in the UK, and my abolitionist stance on capital punishment will hopefully come across. I see little value in returning to a capital system, where the maximum sentence is death. However, my views on the criminal justice system and desire to spread awareness on the death penalty do not encompass all of who I am. Beyond that, I’m the eldest daughter in a working-class family, the ultimate triple threat theatre kid (for non-theatre kids, that means I love to sing, act and dance) and a passionate writer. I wrote a short play as part of my Laidlaw research project. I have written poems and performed them in front of audiences. I am currently writing a novel. Many would describe me as stubborn; I think determined would be a better word, but I am certainly a bundle of energy and someone who wishes to do their part in this rapidly changing world we live in. Hopefully, I will continue to share all aspects of who I am and make connections like no other via this Network.