Pragyan is a junior majoring in Culture and Politics at Georgetown University in Qatar. He works as an Economics Peer Tutor at the Office of Academic Services, and also as a Research Assistant at the Energy Humanities Program, where he is currently developing an energy-themed board game. For his Laidlaw project, he is exploring the history of labor in the electricification of the Philippines. This project intersects energy history and colonial studies, exploring how US Colonialism shaped electricity during and after the US control of the Islands.
Hi! My name is Maghai, and I am a rising junior at Georgetown University in Qatar studying International Politics. As a Laidlaw Scholar, I am conducting research on civilian perceptions of UN peacekeeping withdrawal in South Sudan and how local communities experience security and international intervention. Growing up through conflict and displacement has shaped my interest in community-centered policy, accountability, and research that elevates local perspectives in global decision-making.
Colleen Dougherty
Assistant Director, Center for Research & Fellowships, Georgetown University
Colleen manages the Laidlaw Scholars Leadership and Research Programme at Georgetown University. Through her work, Colleen aims to increase accessibility in fellowships advising for all Georgetown students with a special focus on reflective practices intended to help students identify and develop personal and career goals. Prior to joining Georgetown University, Colleen served as the Assistant Director for Early Career Initiatives with NASPA- Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, where she managed professional development programs for undergraduate student, graduate student, and new professional members. Colleen holds a master’s degree in Student Development in Higher Education from the University of Maine and bachelor’s degrees in Women and Gender Studies and Anthropology from the University of Delaware.
Welcome!! You can call me either Cothney or Coco. After a superb study year abroad experience in France, I came back passionate and driven to push beyond preconceived limits.
I am deeply curious, therefore I love researching.. In my first summer as a scholar, I focused on 'Mapping colonial subjects from the French Resistance'. While doing the research, I had cross cultural experiences between France and the UK.
During my LIA period, I have partnered with 'Star Top Community School', to teach in a local community school in Lusaka, Zambia; I acted as their LIA Champion from Summer 2025 till Summer 2026 .
I recently accomplished graduating from the University of Leeds. Glory be to God for it!
Ask me more if you would like to. Particularly If you are into sports, spirituality, nature, and travelling don't hesitate to reach out!
Hi! My name is Isaiah Almaguer, and I'm a sophomore at Georgetown University. I currently study International Affairs with an Environmental policy focus, which comes from my history with policy work in the Colorado House of Representatives. Being a born-and-raised Coloradan has also made me really appreciate nature!
Outside of research, I love hiking, cycling, and weightlifting to keep myself active. I am also really interested in anything related to Mexican culture and trying to reconnect with my culture through cooking..
Hi, I’m Isabella! I am a rising third year student at Georgetown University studying American Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies with a research focus on sexual violence, Christian nationalism, and gender policy. I am an educator and advocate for sexual violence prevention at both a cultural and legislative level.
This summer, I will be working with Dr. Nadia Brown and a fellow scholar to understand the occurrence and effects of violence against local-level women politicians. I am particularly interested in the influence of digital abuse involving AI and the effect that sexual harassment has on women’s political participation.
Please feel free to reach out!
Email: ibw9@georgetown.edu
Youness Robert-Tahiri
Founder, HaHaHelps & MSocSci Psychology Candidate, University of Cape Town
Hello! I’m a psychology researcher and the founder of HaHaHelps, a nonprofit organisation developing and delivering a comedy-based psychosocial programme designed to support young people in residential care.
I am currently completing an MSocSci in Psychology at the University of Cape Town, where my dissertation examines the feasibility of HaHaHelps programme with adolescents in South African child and youth care centres. My broader interests include youth mental health, psychosocial intervention development, implementation, participatory approaches, and the use of humour and play to support connection, emotional expression, self-efficacy, and coping with uncertainty.
HaHaHelps grew out of my Laidlaw Leadership-in-Action project at SOS Children’s Villages in Cape Town, where I designed and facilitated an improv-comedy programme for adolescents. Since then, I have continued developing and delivering the programme with young people in residential care and am now studying how it can be refined, evaluated, and ultimately adapted for use in other communities and settings.
Before this, my Laidlaw research at the University of Toronto examined relationships between childhood adversity, aggression, and self-regulation.
I’d love to connect with other Laidlaw Scholars and alumni interested in youth mental health, social impact, intervention development, social entrepreneurship, or simply finding creative ways to turn research into something useful in the world.
Hi, I'm Anushka, a third-year at Duke University studying chemistry, medical sociology, and global health. I'm passionate about leveraging scientific techniques in order to advance health equity, especially for rural and underserved populations.
My Laidlaw research at the University of Leeds' Department for Nuclear and Chemical Engineering is about addressing the public health challenge of fluoride-contaminated drinking water in Tanzania by developing a novel, sustainable ion-exchange model to selectively remove fluoride from groundwater.