I'm Alannah Nathan, a Senior in Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, pursuing a degree in Global Business with a minor in French. My research outside of class work focuses primarily on the energy transition from an economic and environmental perspective.  My 2022 Laidlaw Undergraduate Research project seeks to evaluate how three Oil and Gas Majors – Eni, Total Energies, and ConocoPhillips – position themselves in the energy transition, with a focus on a possible discrepancy between how the Majors talk about the energy transition in annual reports and what commitments they plan to make (example: Net-Zero by 2050) as well as where they spend their money.  My 2023 Leadership-in-Action project is work with the World Resources Institute (WRI) within the Forest Program. I will be supporting two key programs: the Land Accelerator and TerraFund. WRI’s Land Accelerator program is aimed at supporting entrepreneurs based in Africa restore degraded soil through for-profit business models. The program provides capacity building for the entrepreneurs with trainings in pitching, financials, business development and more. I will be helping run these trainings and providing assistance as needed to ensure quality results from the program. I will also be assisting with TerraFund which provides loans for entrepreneurs restoring degrading land (including some of the LA alumni). 

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.