Hey guys! My name is Chase, and I am a Georgetown student interested in addiction and drug policy. My Laidlaw work is fueled by experience in U.S. government and political spaces (such as internships in the U.S. Senate and with legislative advocacy groups). My research specifically examines the beliefs and attitudes contributing to support for medication-assisted treatment in rural areas. Outside of Laidlaw, I love to run, cook, play piano, and discuss food. 

Hello! My name is Anna Halvey, and I am an undergraduate student of Philosophy, Political Science, Economics and Sociology (PPES) at Trinity College Dublin and a member of the Laidlaw Leadership and Research Scholars 2026 cohort. I am broadly interested in political behaviour, public discourse, and the ways technology shapes how we understand and engage with the world. As such, my summer research project, Delegated Citizenship in the New Public Sphere, explores the growing role of social media influencers in shaping political understanding and behaviour in an Irish context. Rather than relying primarily on traditional political institutions or mainstream news media, many citizens now engage with digital intermediaries who frame, simplify, and interpret political information on their behalf. Drawing on survey data and semi-structured interviews, I will examine whether Irish citizens are increasingly outsourcing political judgement to these actors, how this shapes political behaviour, and what implications this may have for the public sphere. In light of ongoing policy debates around democratic protection, the era of misinformation, and the rise of populism and post-truth politics, I believe this is a particularly important moment to study how political understanding is formed in digitally mediated environments. My interests outside academia reflect these themes. I have a history of environmental, gender equality, and mental health activism at a local and national level. I am particularly interested in policy addressing climate (in)justice and the protection of human rights. Beyond this, I love being out in nature, learning about subjects outside my discipline, and trying a different genre of music every week. Feel free to reach out if you have questions, want to discuss research, or simply chat about your niche interests - I would love to hear from you!

I was part of Trinity College's 2020 cohort of the Laidlaw Undergraduate Research & Leadership scholarship. My research dealt with European lobbying regulations. I hold a BA in Political Science in 2022 and an MSc in Public Policy from the University of Edinburgh. My current academic interests include foreign affairs and eco-social policies. 

Krishaan Vadia is a rising sophomore at Harvard College who is passionate about global development and human welfare, with a particular focus on poverty, education and human capital, and humanitarian crises. His interests lie at the intersection of economics, public policy, law, and social enterprise as avenues for reform, especially within emerging markets.  As a member of Harvard’s inaugural cohort of Laidlaw Scholars, Krishaan researches how innovative financing mechanisms enabled private capital markets to make infrastructure investments with diffuse public benefits a mainstream asset class and what lessons these models may offer for mobilizing private investment in human capital development. At Harvard, he was one of two first-years selected as a liaison to former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and also served as an associate to former Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb through Harvard’s Institute of Politics. Additionally, he served as Policy Chair of the Harvard Undergraduate Foreign Policy Initiative, where he led a six-member team as first author of a 56-page policy white paper on the impact of fiscal constraints on chronic malnutrition in East Africa, presenting recommendations to the commissioner (Action Against Hunger, a global NGO) in New York City after winning a competitive travel grant. He is also on the masthead of the Harvard Undergraduate Law Review as Director of Outreach, is Project Head of Education & Admissions Initiatives for the Harvard Undergraduate Rural League, and conducts intelligence research for Harvard Law School’s International Human Rights Clinic on genocidal rhetoric, active peace negotiations, and field reporting related to Russia’s war in Ukraine.  Beyond campus, he conducted original cross-market economic development research adopted by City of Indianapolis to support stakeholder engagement on 60+ large-scale AI data center projects, analyzing enacted land-use ordinances across five peer cities to develop regulatory compliance and tax abatement recommendations for capital-intensive development initiatives in the city. He also serves as a Campaign Fellow for Beau Bayh’s Indiana Secretary of State campaign. Outside of his academic and professional interests, Krishaan has a longstanding love of vocal performance/dance, for which he has competed and won awards at the national level.

I'm interested in learning everything about how the working class and common people of the world can work together to make their lives better. My main focus is developing skills to be an effective labor organizer and union leader.  I also have experience with policy research, legal advocacy, and statistics. 

Hi! I'm Eve and I'm studying Middle Eastern and European Languages and Cultures (with German and Turkish) at Trinity College Dublin. My research project focussed on the challenges facing Vergangenheitsbewältigung in modern Germany, including rising antisemitism, the 2015 migratory wave, subsequent refugee integration and developments in the Israel-Palestine conflict. I investigated how to tackle this issue in a way that appropriately condemns antisemitism and safeguards the wellbeing and integration of Germany's Muslim community. In addition, I considered wider questions surrounding migrant assimilation and national identity.  In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my friends, sea-swimming, hiking and reading. I also love to travel and am very interested in learning languages and connecting with people from across the world, so please feel free to reach out - I would love to chat about anything project (or otherwise) related!

Hi, I'm Mila. I'm an undergraduate geography student at the university of Cambridge. I'm mostly interested in physical geography particularly in hazard risk and the ways that multi-hazards intersect with vulnerability and the ways that this will be impacted by climate change in the future. My summer research project, is focused on the ways Ukrainians, both in Ukraine and in the UK experience and process the ongoing ecocide in Ukraine. 

Hello! My name is Annie, and I am a second year undergraduate student at the University of Cambridge, studying Geography.    My research project is titled ‘Scroll, Share, Speak: Examining Generational Engagement with Feminist Content on Social Media’. My project investigated the engagement patterns of self-identified women in the UK with feminist-related content on social media. The investigation examined how often different generations engage with digital feminist content, and the type of content and platforms they find most appealing. I explored how social media has influenced the way feminism is expressed and perceived, particularly in terms of its effectiveness in driving real-world change and shaping more inclusive forms of engagement.   In my spare time, I love to spend time with my friends and family, go on walks, and play netball.    If you’re interested in learning more about my research, or simply starting a conversation, I’d love to connect. 

Hi! I am an undergraduate Psychology student at Durham University and a 2025/26 Laidlaw scholar. So far in my Laidlaw journey, I have undertaken research into Formula 1 fan marketing and gendered motivation, which involved designing, carrying out, analysing, and presenting my research, including collecting data at the British Grand Prix and interviewing Ferrari personnel. I recently completed the Oxford Character Project hosted by Oxford University to further my leadership skills and am currently in the final stages of the programme to implement what I have learned in Mexico City, designing educational tools to teach children about consent and leading a group of volunteers to make it happen. Follow along!

Hello! My name is Mara, and I'm a junior at Georgetown University studying Psychology with a minor in Education, Inquiry, and Justice. I'm passionate about understanding how support systems, community structures, and institutions shape outcomes, particularly for those involved in the criminal legal system. Outside of academics, I enjoy playing ultimate frisbee, exploring vintage/thrift stores, and crafting! This summer, my research project examines cross-filed Civil Protection Orders (CPOs) filed in the District of Columbia. I hope my project will highlight the nuanced nature of intimate partner violence (IPV) and domestic violence (DV), while uncovering areas of the filing process that can be improved to increase access to justice in CPO hearings. Feel free to reach out and connect! Email: maralewis1017@gmail.com Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/mara-lew

I am a 2nd year student at the University of Leeds studying Politics and Parliamentary Studies and have just completed my first summer research project looking into what the new Labour government can learn from other centre-left governments in its fight against climate change, a key global issue of our time combining two of my biggest passions!

Hii, I'm Claudia, a student at HKU.

Hi! My name is Liam Jones and I am a Laidlaw Scholar from the 25/26 cohort. I am an undergraduate student reading Modern Languages and Cultures at Durham University, St. Cuthbert's Society College. I study French, Arabic, and Persian too! I am interested in international affairs, peacekeeping, and linguistics.  During my first year, I completed a research project in French musicology throughout my 6-week research summer, which was thrilling and I managed to learn a lot about French linguistics, as well as the evolution of the French language, and music too - including competency using music software which I had never had the chance to do before. I am from Nairobi, Kenya, but I now live in Loughborough!

Hi! I’m Rachel, a 3rd year undergraduate at Trinity College Dublin. I'm a Computer Science major with a minor in Business. My current research focuses on AI-generated content detection in academic writing, and how we can design systems that go beyond surface-level tone analysis and actually look at how something was created, not just what it looks like on the page. I’m particularly interested in where technology meets accountability; whether that’s through blockchain-backed transparency, ethical design, or just building tools that help people do good things better. I think we need to be a lot more thoughtful about how we integrate AI into education, and a lot more ambitious about the kinds of institutions we want to shape in the process. Also, like most people who spend too long on side projects, I occasionally forget how to relax. When I do, though, I read whatever I can get my hands (usually poetry or classic fiction). Or I try baking some treats. Or I go cafe hopping with friends for conversation. If you’d like to chat about any of the above, or anything really, I’d love to hear from you.

Hi everyone my name is Hammad, I am a third year medical student in Trinity College Dublin. I have an interest in loads of different medical specialties with respiratory medicine top of that list which is why I tried to do a research project related to that topic. Medicine has so many different aspects to it, almost all of which is fascinating (minus the stress and pressure and sleep deprivation etc) but what really motivates me is how medical research can inform and improve medical treatment which makes an observable and at times enormous difference to real people with real conditions and real symptoms, not just the words we read in our lectures and textbooks all the time. I like watching football, basketball and cricket and used to play football when I was in school. Now I spend most of my free time either in the gym, teaching or spending too much time watching Reels on Instagram.

A 3rd year Astrophysics student at Trinity College Dublin - investigating exomoons around a brown dwarf and in Auckland working with the Kaipatiki Project.