Heather (She/Her)

MMarBiol Undergrad Student, St. Andrews
Alice O'Neill

Student, University of Leeds

Hi, I'm Alice, a Biochemistry student at the University of Leeds. I love science as I am fascinated by understanding how life works at a chemical and cellular level, but I also have a very arty side, with passions including painting and music.   This Summer I will be doing a research project into improving the efficiency of pig-feeding methods, to decrease environmental impact and reduce waste. I will be looking into how current phase feeding methods can be optimized by more closely meeting the nutritional requirements of the pigs at each stage. 
Meng Sijia

Student , The University of Hong Kong

Hello everyone, I am a first year undergraduate student majored in Actuarial Science at the University of Hong Kong.  For my research, I will work on a project about linguistic: Influence of First Language on Learning English as a Second Language (ESL). 
Isabella Liu Tsz Huen

Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Hong Kong

Lu Xiaoru Anita

Student, The University of Hong Kong

Topaz Francis-Costa

Student, Durham University

Celina O'Connor

Programme Manager, University of St Andrews

Lucas Wolman

Student, Trinity Hall, Cambridge

Hello hello, I am a 3rd year undergrad at Trinity Hall, Cambridge studying manufacturing engineering. I am hugely passionate about sustainability and what changes can we make to the built environment to reduce our impact and preserve our world for generations to come. From our mobility to our dwellings, our food, and our clothes I am fascinated by the changes we can make to tackle the climate crisis and leave the world in a better place than we found it. (It would also help if BP didn't dump countless barrels of oil in the sea too, I guess). We urgently need to set about fixing the damage that has been done to our environment, promote social mobility, bring greater circularity into our economic thinking, and strengthen our democratic institutions while restoring public trust in our processes. Simultaneously we could also do with just trying to relax a little bit. I think about otters a lot. Not like an unreasonable amount, but it makes me smile when I do and it gets me through the day. I have a dog called Rufus. He's a very cheeky boy and I love him dearly even though he has gotten very good at stealing food off unsuspecting picnicers who believe he's just coming to say hi and get some strokes. Please do drop me a message if you would like some photos.
Hannah Lawless

Biological Sciences Student and Clinical Research Scientist, Durham University

Hi, I'm Hannah and i'm a Biological Sciences student at Durham University. My research project was focused on exploring the neuroscience of bumble bees and their visual and olfactory attraction to flowers, and identifying differences between sex and species. My LiA is with Make_Sense Americas and is a collaboration with a start-up recycling plant, processing hard to recycle materials and trying to achieve a more circular economy. During my free time I love reading, improving my level of Spanish and learning how to code.
Vaibhav Pramode Nair

Scholar, University of Leeds

Vaibhav Pramode Nair is a 2023 Laidlaw Scholar at the University of Leeds. He is the Lead Youth Representative of the Save Soil Movement, and in this capacity works to amplify youth voices for food systems transformation at major policy fora globally. Currently pursuing a Bachelors in Sustainability and Environmental Management at Leeds' School of Earth and Environment, he was the first undergraduate Youth Delegate from Leeds to the UN Climate Talks, representing at COP29 Baku, COP28 UAE and SB60 Bonn. Vaibhav leads efforts in diplomacy and climate at the Indian Youth Diplomacy Forum. He’s a LEED Green Associate, IEMA member, and an active participant in YOUNGO's Food and Agriculture Working Group, advocating for a shift in focus within the international climate policy discourse to the soil degradation crisis. Save Soil. Visit https://consciousplanet.org/ to learn more. Let's make it happen ! Try https://isha.sadhguru.org/us/en/inner-engineering . Changed my life. In is the only way Out.  If you study/work within the sustainability/climate space, please reach out. If not, definitely reach out. :)
Jiayi Guo

Student, Cornell University

Hello!! My name is Jiayi (she/her), and I major in Design and Environmental Analysis at the College of Human Ecology at Cornell University. I also pursue a minor named Healthy Futures, which examines how to use design to integrate health and hospitality into our daily experiences. I am fascinated by the interdisciplinary nature of design research, and I hope to apply the frameworks and tools of design and system thinking to environmental education in the future. For me, design has the powers of creativity, communication, and action, which can fuel social innovation greatly. Currently, I am researching young children's understandings and feelings about climate change, focusing on children in the US (where I study) and China (where I'm from). I really want to learn more about how to conduct effective environmental education that leads to pro-environmental actions. My passion for environmental actions and social change also brought me to engage in LiA: Mexico City with NGO Make_Sense. I love meeting people and learning new things - I would love to connect with you!
Amishika Dhaurali

Student, Laidlaw Foundation

Hello everyone! My name is Amishika Dhaurali (pronounced Ah-mi-she-ka Dur-all-e). I am currently pursuing a major in Child Studies and Human Development, complemented by a minor in Sociology. My research focuses on unraveling the intricate relationship between social media and the formation of body image perspectives and perceptions in young adolescence females. 
Sarah Routley

Student, University of St Andrews

Hello everyone! I'm Sarah (she/her) and I am a fourth-year undergraduate student in Philosophy at the University of St Andrews. I am particularly interested in the applications of philosophy to social and political issues, and how we can use philosophical arguments to inform policy decisions. As such, my research project concerned the appropriateness of belief and doubt in cases of sexual assault and the implications for university and legal policy. For my Leadership-in-Action, I conducted an evaluation of a sexual violence prevention education programme run by an NGO in Auckland, New Zealand
Maria Rose Elizabeth Yates

Student , University of St. Andrews

Joanna Magnuson

Scholar, Laidlaw

Amarni Newman

Biological Sciences undergrad, University of Leeds

Hello and welcome to my Laidlaw scholarship experience!  Last summer I had the privilege to carry out research on invasive freshwater crayfish (it's as glamorous as it sounds) and have since presented my research in three conferences.   This summer I will be heading to the Peruvian Amazon as part of my LiA documenting the realities of conservation and voluntourism on local communities and the environment. 
Yoshino Homma

Student , St Andrews

Hello! I'm Yoshino, a third-year student majoring in International Relations and Spanish. I love learning languages, travelling and meeting new people :)
Oliver Righton

Laidlaw Alum, University of St Andrews

I'm a chemist in my final year of the MChem with Industrial Placement programme at the University of St Andrews. My research focused on improvements to a Dye-Sensitised Solar Cell (DSSC) process used in the St Andrews undergraduate laboratory. For a brief overview, see my poster, or for a deeper dive you can read my research essay. My six week project was with _makesense Colombia and Picacho con futuro in Medellín to create socially innovative solutions to the challenges of sustainability and circular economy, designing and delivering workshops to understand what these concepts meant to the people and then to explore ways in which their lives intersect with the natural world. Academic Interests I'm currently researching solid-state materials including hexagonal tungsten bronzes and their structure-property relationships under selective doping. Outside of my research project, I'm also taking courses in catalysis, asymmetric synthesis and macromolecular bonding interactions. In my degree, I've also studied some astronomy and astrophysics - there's nothing like a good night looking at the stars! Personal Interests Outside of academic life, you'll find me always up for a board game (I was Secretary of a board game society once). I'm learning guitar, doing my best to pick French back up after a few years and have always been a great fan of cooking delicious food!
Victoria Schroeder-Finckh

Student, University of St Andrews

Otilia Rose-Marie Meden

Student, University of St Andrews

Amar Singh Bhandal

Laidlaw Scholar, University of St Andrews