I am an alumna of the 2021-22 Columbia Laidlaw Scholars cohort, and graduated from Columbia (CC'24) with majors in History and Mathematics. My Laidlaw research centered on the women's movement in early twentieth-century British India. My first summer focused on the Indian writer, educator, and activist Mahadevi Varma, and my second summer focused on networks of women from across the British empire attending the Oxford in the 1910s-30s at the Unstable Archives Project.

Hi everyone! I run the CraftHER Leadership-in-action program by @Swara - Voice of Women. Here's our IG: www.instagram.com/craftherbyswara/ I’m Asha Scaria Vettoor, an entrepreneur and Laidlaw Scholar from the University of Oxford. I run Swara, a social enterprise based in India that creates income opportunities for women through ethical fashion and storytelling. We also host CraftHER, a 6-week Leadership-in-Action program that brings Laidlaw scholars from around the world to Kerala to learn from women-led enterprises, grassroots organisations, and artisan communities. I’m passionate about building bridges between global learners and local changemakers in my community and always up for a conversation on social entrepreneurship, ethical supply chains, or running programs in remote parts of India.

My name is Zala Bhan, and I’m a Laidlaw Scholar at Barnard College studying Applied Mathematics with an interest in biostatistics. For me, the Laidlaw program is a tribute to my cultural roots as a Kashmiri Pandit (KP), the ethnic minority of Kashmir, and an effort to preserve and give voice to a history that’s often overlooked. In my first summer, I explored whether a truth and reconciliation framework could offer a path for the reintegration of KPs following their forced exodus of over 300,000 people in 1990. Through case studies of the South African TRC, Bosnia’s post-war efforts, and Chile’s reconciliation process, I examined what healing, accountability, and return may look like in the context of Kashmir. For my LiA, I’m building an oral history archive to preserve the memories and voices of those who lived through the exodus, alongside personal artifacts and memorabilia. This archive aims to preserve lived experiences, support future research, and spark conversations about justice, memory, and belonging. I hope to continue this work long after the summer ends, deepening the archive and expanding its reach.

Reese Taylor is a rising junior majoring in Philosophy, History, and Human Rights on a pre-law track. As a Laidlaw Scholar, she spent her first summer researching the role of labor in the economic and social uplift of Black Americans in the wake of Reconstruction. She was selected to present this research at Johns Hopkins University, The University of Pennsylvania, and the Global Laidlaw Scholars Conference. In her second summer, Reese founded The Voices in Action Initiative which is a program developed to empower and mobilize youth voices by providing them skills and practice in speech and debate. She enacted the program in Nassau, Bahamas with sponsorship from both the Laidlaw Foundation and The Kiwanis Club of Nassau.

Hi! I'm Madeleine, a rising junior at Barnard College, majoring in Urban Studies and Economics. In my first summer, I conducted quantitative and spatial research on housing inequity in Morningside Heights, utilizing statistical software and GIS tools to analyze data and spatial patterns, to better inform policy decisions. In my second summer, I am volunteering with Bybi, an urban beekeeping organization based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Bybi focuses on creating sustainable urban environments through beekeeping, local partnerships, and urban apiaries. 🇩🇰🐝🌿🌈🚲🍎⭐️

Hi! My name is Anagha (pronounced uh-nuh-guh) and I am an undergraduate at Barnard College in the Class of 2027. I am majoring in Sociology as a pre-medical student; I hope to pursue an MD-PhD in Medical Anthropology. My research this summer connects my academic interests in medical sociology and queer studies. Through exploring diverse forms of gender affirming care, I hope to understand how medical and spiritual healers help individuals transition. In my free time, I love junk journaling, singing in Barnard's a capella group, and trying new vegetarian recipes. I'd love to chat about anything from your latest cooking attempts to your favorite (or least favorite) sociological theories - please feel free to reach out and say hi! :)

I am a rising junior at Barnard College studying English and Education. I am passionate about expanding access to higher education for underrepresented communities and addressing disparities in K-12 education. This summer, I will conduct a comparative critical policy analysis of financial aid policies in New York and Georgia, examining how such policies impact students' access to higher education. As a future educator and educational researcher, this opportunity is invaluable for bridging my passion for research and education with meaningful advocacy.

I'm a current undergrad student at Barnard College pursuing a double-major in Theatre & Human Rights, with a minor in East Asian Studies. I'm often asked why I’m studying such seemingly divergent fields. For me, these subjects go hand in hand: my diplomacy and human rights practice are informed by an empathy uniquely cultivated from my experience in the arts; my acting on theatrical stages is enriched by my understanding of what is happening on the "world stage." Mastering both mediums is my answer to the seemingly unsolveable divisions we face today. My work bridges these fields in an innovative, urgent and radical effort to highlight our shared humanity at a time we need it most.

I am a rising sophomore, pre-law student at Barnard College, Columbia University intending to major in Philosophy and minor in Spanish. My academic interests are civil rights law, ethics, intellectual history, education policy, and disability studies. As a Laidlaw scholar I draw from my academic interests and personal experiences to conduct research on the use of restraint and seclusion in special education. I am eager to use my research experience and education in my future law career to further social equality.

Hello everyone! My name is Stella Dull, and I'm a rising sophomore at Barnard College  with interests in the intersections of environmental justice, political theory, and renewable energy. This summer, I will be researching how the U.S. and China’s approaches to green industrial policy and their associated outcomes reflect divergent models of government intervention in the economy and what this reveals about the evolving role of the state in addressing the climate crisis.