Kailynn Oliver (She/Her)

Hi! My name is Ariadna (Arina) Maksin and I'm a rising sophomore at Georgetown University. I currently research and study neurobiology, which stems from my interest in understanding and targeting the biological mechanisms underlying substance addiction (particularly opioid abuse). My Laidlaw project investigates the role of KCC2, a potassium-chloride cotransporter protein, in morphine addiction. I hope to ultimately integrate wet-lab addiction research with both biotherapeutic and public policy fields to create sustainable treatment and prevention strategies for addiction in the US.  Outside of research, I love creative writing (particularly poetry) and I'm hoping to double major in English. I also enjoy dancing – I'm on hiphop and bhangra teams at Georgetown – as well as playing piano, exploring new cuisines, and reading. Feel free to reach out here or at am4981@georgetown.edu!

I am the Senior Program Coordinator with Duke University's Hart Leadership Program, which supports the Laidlaw Scholars Program and several other undergraduate experiential learning programs. In May 2024, I completed my doctorate in the Study of Religion at Harvard University with a focus in contemporary Islamic studies and American religions. My dissertation work examined the shape and impact of U.S. Muslim civic organizations and community organizing in the city of Detroit. I also hold a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School and a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies from Appalachian State University (go Mountaineers!). My studies have been driven by a deep interest in the intersections of religion and civic life in the contemporary U.S. To that end, I've worked as a researcher for the Listening to Women about Abortion & Religion Project, a Religion, Spirituality, and Democratic Renewal Fellow with the Social Science Research Council, and an adjunct professor at Stonehill College. In my role with Hart Leadership Program, I engage my training as a researcher, educator, and program builder to provide strong student support and advance community-engaged scholarship and education. Whether you're a Duke student or a Laidlaw Scholar at another institution, I'd be happy to connect and talk about social science research design and methods, religious studies and anthropology, applying to and navigating graduate school, or putting together strong research grant and fellowship proposals.

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. 

Hi! I'm Amanda, a third year Neuroscience student and Laidlaw alum from UCL. I'm Swedish-Persian and grew up in Sweden before moving to London for uni. These days, alongside my studies, I work for the Foundation as a Marketing Assistant. For my first year research project, I worked on optimising alginate hydrogels for 3D astrocyte culture systems. In simpler terms, I was figuring out the best way to prepare a jelly-like scaffolds so that star-shaped brain cells called astrocytes could grow in three dimensions rather than flat on a dish. This matters because 3D environments mimic the brain more realistically, which could help researchers develop better treatments for neurological disorders!  For my Leadership-in-Action project, I co-created Beyond the Books, a resource designed to help students from underrepresented backgrounds navigate the unwritten rules of university life, from internships and networking to professional opportunities that aren't always obvious if you're the first in your family to go to uni. Always happy to connect, whether you want to chat about neuroscience, widening access, the Laidlaw experience, or just say hello! One of my favourite things about this community is getting to meet people from different universities and backgrounds, so please do reach out! 🌟

Hi! My name is Ashley, and I am currently a second-year student at Duke University studying Public Policy and Global Health with an interest in a Health Policy Certificate. I am passionate about advancing ethical, evidence-based solutions at the intersection of health, environment, and social equity. I also find interest in conducting research focused on ethical decision-making and inclusive research practices that better serve underrepresented communities. My experiences across public health, communications, and community engagement have shaped my interest in using policy to promote social responsibility and health equity.

Hi, I'm Anika! I’m a student at Duke University pursuing a double major in Computer Science and Public Policy. I’m passionate about exploring how emerging technology can be governed, developed, and deployed in a responsible and equitable manner. My Laidlaw Scholars research focused on European platform accountability, where I studied how AI-generated music affects creative democracy, labor rights, and data privacy in the EU and UK. This past summer, I co-authored a white paper titled "The Canary in the Coal Mine: Spotify, Generative AI, and the Future of Cultural Labor," which I presented at Oxford’s Rothermere American Institute alongside my team, while also engaging policymakers from NATO and the OECD throughout the paper-writing process.  Beyond research, I lead the Center for Gender Equitable AI, a nonprofit I founded to address gender equity issues in AI, including explicit deepfakes and algorithmic bias. Through our #StopExplicitDeepfakes campaign, I’ve been involved in advancing policy conversations at the U.S. federal level to expand protections for victims of digital harms. At Duke, I lead Duke Tech for Change, a student organization dedicated to responsible technology, and serve as an officer for Duke Cyber, where I help organize cyber policy opportunities and events. I'm deeply committed to linking technology with democracy and human rights. Check out my LinkedIn for a more comprehensive overview of what I do! Please feel free to reach out any time at anika.dugal@duke.edu.

Hello! I recently graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Science in Psychology Research from the University of Toronto. I’m passionate about youth mental health and how humour can be used to support resilience after adversity. My Summer 1 research project explored the relationship between childhood adversity, aggression, and self-regulation — deepening my understanding of the psychological impacts of early trauma. In Summer 2, I led a Leadership-in-Action project at SOS Children’s Villages in Cape Town, where I designed and facilitated a comedy-based mental health program for teens. That experience led me to found HaHaHelps — an organization that uses improv comedy to support youth mental health through accessible, community-led workshops. I am currently conducting a feasibility study of the program in South Africa as part of my master’s dissertation in Psychology at the University of Cape Town, with plans to expand to more communities globally. Please feel free to connect :) Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/younessrobert-tahiri Email: youness@hahahelps.org

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.

Hello! I’m Trisha, a graduate of Cornell University from Texas, USA. I majored in Environment and Sustainability with a dual focus on food systems and wildlife conservation, and minored in International Relations. My interests in combining my enduring passions for writing and wildlife conservation have driven me to explore multiple perspectives on highly-controversial issues such as trophy hunting, retaliatory animal killings, and illegal wildlife crime. Thus, during my first summer as a Laidlaw Scholar and as a member of the Morally Contested Conservation team, I wrote a literature review on the interconnectedness of climate change and human-wildlife conflicts in East and southern Africa. In June and July 2024, I furthered this research by traveling to the University of Oxford and to the Burunge Wildlife Management Area in Tanzania, and returned to Oxford and Burunge in June and July 2025 to report my results.  As an aspiring conservationist, I am passionate about making technical scientific information more accessible to the general public. I speak Marathi, Spanish, and Swahili at varying levels of fluency and plan to continue to grow my language skills to communicate conservation challenges across continents and cultures.  The Laidlaw Scholars Program was an invaluable component of my undergraduate experience. The friendships I made, as well as the research and language skills I began to develop, encouraged me to continue to ask and seek answers to complicated questions about global affairs and environmental science. If anyone has questions about the Laidlaw Program, is interested in collaborating, or just wants to say hello, please feel free to email me at trisha.bhujle@gmail.com!

Hey friends! I’m Angela Chen, a third-year Public Policy, Psychology, & Digital Intelligence student at Duke University. I'm passionate about leveraging digital policy and journalism to democratize access to information. This past summer, as a Laidlaw Scholar for Research & Leadership and with Duke's Sanford School of Public Policy, I researched AI Policy, Music Streaming, & Cultural Labor in the EU & UK, culminating in presentations at the Oxford Rothermere American Institute, the Laidlaw Scholars Global Conference, and a forthcoming publication on Taylor & Francis. Previously, at the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, the world's leading think tank in science & technology policy, I investigated the use of AI in election information dissemination for minority language voters in the US. Having grown up in both Hong Kong and Canada, I also strongly believe in the importance of collaboration across geographical borders & cultures, and would love to chat—both about global information access and general cultural experiences! At Duke, I also help shape campus culture to maximize equity and inclusivity, particularly through Student Government—I believe that educational environments are key to fostering civic and civil discourse. Reach out here, on LinkedIn, or via email! I'm deeply grateful to be part of our inspiring Laidlaw Scholars community, and I can't wait to bond with as many of y'all as I can :)

Hello! I am Major Richmond, and I enjoy spending time with friends, playing tennis, and visiting the best theme parks in the country. I am a PROUD Blue Devil and a member of Duke University's Class of 2028! I intend to pursue a degree in Public Policy Analysis and explore Environmental Science and Spanish💙😈 In general, The United States is in an unprecedented state of division, specifically in the political realm. The US democratic system has turned into a battle arena full of uncertainty, hatred, and various bad decisions. For my life goal, I have sworn to put a halt to this crippling division and start to put compromise over stubbornness. The best current policy solutions arise when democrats, republicans, conservatives, liberals, and independents unite to create change TOGETHER, rather than separate. As an aspiring politician, I plan to end division for the country's benefit.