Finley Ullom (He/Him)

Hello! I'm an incoming third-year History student at the University of St Andrews. I'm from Madrid, Spain, but I moved to Scotland for university.  My research project focuses on the impact of the Cold War on sexuality and sexual expression among LGBTQ+ youth in Brazil and the relationship between sexuality and the state in a military dictatorship. 

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

Hia! I'm Bethan, but most people know me as Bea. I am going into my third year at the University of St Andrews studying Social Anthropology. My Laidlaw research project explores the power of the Pacific research methodology and cultural storytelling tool of talanoa within the sphere of Pacific climate change discourse. In order to make meaningful change happen on the terms of those most affected by climate change and with some of the greatest history of connections with the ocean, the use of talanoa can be expanded to facilitate culturally appropriate collaboration and effective, meaningful climate change action.  This summer, I am taking my learning to the Pacific for my Leadership in Action project working at Tiapapata Art Centre, Samoa. My work here lends my passion for visual storytelling towards capturing and promoting the phenomenal, ever-developing projects that the art centre runs. As an educational and creative hub dedicated to fostering the continued transmission of both tangible and intangible cultural heritage, I hope to co-produce visual media and share real-world stories of the hard but joyous work the art centre puts into preserving traditional Samoan arts and culture.   __ More broadly, my interests lie in environmental and visual anthropology, overall aiming to understand and put into practice how visual storytelling can empower people in the face of our changing climate, and inspire audiences beyond academia to see how interconnected our world is - and the people within it. In bridging the intersection of human experiences and our physical environments, I hope to portray a future that highlights localised solutions to environmental challenges and to make this future empowering and accessible to a wider audience through film. 

Hi! I'm Alina, a Biochemistry undergraduate fascinated by health sciences, my long-term goal is making healthcare more accessible, equitable, and effective. For my Laidlaw research, I stepped outside my home School of Biology into the School of Medicine to study direct-to-consumer health screening (think at-home genetic tests). These tests promise autonomy but risk misinformation, false positives, and overdiagnosis; so my work pushes for a shift from early diagnosis to optimal diagnosis, where a result is only useful if it's actually clinically actionable. For my Leadership in Action project, I co-led When Science Dances; using Scottish ceilidh dance to teach gravitational-wave physics to children in underserved communities across Glasgow and Shetland, in partnership with Science Ceilidh, Wild Skies Shetland, and the University of Glasgow's Institute for Gravitational Research. It was a joy to take something as abstract as spacetime and turn it into something kids could dance out and giggle through, and to watch the project grow from a Glasgow workshop series into a Shetland outreach programme along the way. Outside of "work hours", I'm always on the move. In uni I picked up judo, which has since become kind of my whole personality (big shout out to USTA Judo, I love you). I also absolutely love cycling; started as a way of coping with not having a car, ended as a full-blown addiction. Beyond sport, I've got a soft spot for anything creative: embroidery, crochet, photography, and losing hours to discovering electronic music. Basically: endlessly curious, always chasing whatever new thing has caught my eye.

Physics undergraduate at the University of St Andrews.

Currently a second-year medical student at the University of St Andrews, with an interest in medical ethics and humanities.

Hello! I am a third year student at the University of St Andrews undertaking a joint Honours in Art History and Geography. I am interested in the intersection of the visual arts and the climate crisis; exploring the interactions between artists, cultural institutions, and the environment, past and present, as well as imagining what future interactions may look like.             In my first summer with Laidlaw I undertook a research project on the environmental impact of digital practice in museums and heritage institutions. This project delved into carbon costing, water usage of data centres, and the new age of digital colonialism with mineral extraction and e-waste disposal - highlight the great ecological, economic, and social impacts of increasing digital activity. My research implemented the concept of Active Hope. I explored how different experiences of hope across and in curation with different communities could write another story of our time. I questioned how hope could be the central axis for social and environmental change within digital policy in museums.               During my second summer I had the privilege of working in Paris working with the NGO Karuna-Shechen for my Leadership in Action. I wrote the sixth edition of their key philanthropy output: 'Letters to our Friends'. Centred on the theme of Hope, I carried the insights from my first year into my conversations with colleagues across the field in India and Nepal. I wrote articles that captured the charities' commitment to alleviate poverty and how they passed agency back into the hands of the communities they support. 

Researching climate finance in Scotland - How to Fix the Hurdles that Prevent Funds from Reaching Net-Zero Housing Projects?  Studying economics with a concentration in finance. 

An avid Psychology Student looking to engender inspired, tangible, and meaningful change. Actively pursuing worthwhile ventures to actualise this goal.

Third year medical student at the University of St Andrews with a love for learning, interdisciplinary study, and travel. 

Hi everyone! I am a second-year at the University of St Andrews studying Modern History and International Relations. My project investigates the intersection between the performing arts and the Esperanto movement, focusing on how the performing arts were (and continue to be) used to grow and enrich Esperantujo. 

Hi I'm a Student at St Andrews, investigating the role of Russian Emigres in opinion making within the UK, both in the victorian era and today

I am a Fourth year Geology student at the University of St Andrews. Acquired knowledge of independent practical mapping, theoretical geophysical methods and petrological lab work. I am highly motivated to succeed, and my communication, leadership, and organisational skills have led me to become a trusted team member and be elected for multiple high-responsibility roles.  I am deeply passionate about environmental conservation and aspire to pursue a career in critical metals, contributing to the transition towards a sustainable green economy. Outside of my studies, I enjoy hiking, wildlife observation, and cycling.