Hello! My name is Annie, and I am an undergraduate student at the University of Cambridge, studying Geography.    My research project is titled ‘Scroll, Share, Speak: Examining Generational Engagement with Feminist Content on Social Media’. My project will investigate the engagement patterns of self-identified women in the UK with feminist-related content on social media. The investigation will examine how often different generations engage with digital feminist content, and the type of content and platforms they find most appealing. It will also explore how social media has influenced the way feminism is expressed and perceived, particularly in terms of its effectiveness in driving real-world change and shaping more inclusive forms of engagement.   In my spare time, I love to spend time with my friends and family, go on walks, and play netball.    If you’re interested in learning more about my research, or simply starting a conversation, I’d love to connect. 

Hello everyone!  My name is Abi and I am a second year Geology student at Imperial College.  As someone who is passionate about sustainable energy and the preservation of our environment, my research project centres on how to make decarbonisation solutions economically viable - so that clean energy can be attained by all. I believe that money should never be a restriction - especially towards climate action, so I aim for my research to make decarbonisation a feasible target for everyone!  My hobbies include all things outdoors - hiking, travelling and climbing to mention a few - as well as crafty activities such as crochet and knitting!  I would like my Leadership in Action project to focus on my hobbies - using craft activities to help rebuild and give independence to a local community abroad, with an emphasis on sustainability. Perhaps using locally sourced material to produce goods which can be sold to help with living costs? If any of this sounds interesting, or if you’d simply like to chat, please feel free to reach out and connect! :)  

Hey there! I'm Miki, a 2025 scholar pursuing a combined degree in Persian, Arabic and International Relations at the University of St Andrews. I care deeply about refugee issues - particularly in the Middle East, owing to my personal experiences with refugees in Jordan and Iran. My research project explores how the  Jordanian and Lebanese governments' differing policies toward Syrian refugees have influenced their integration into their host societies.

Hi everyone, my name is Terrah — or Danae if you know me from Danalize, my startup, where I’ve helped over 500,000 college and high school students get smart about their college loans and promote financial literacy. I’m a junior at Barnard College, Columbia University, double majoring in sociology and human rights on the pre-law track. I'm also a part of the 2025 Laidlaw scholar cohort. My mission is to help others through my experience as a first-generation, low-income student from an underserved high school. This passion, combined with the disparities I’ve seen in financial literacy—especially in communities of color—has inspired my current research on the relationship between financial literacy and higher educational attainment. Feel free to connect as we grow together, not just as scholars, but as passionate advocates for change.

Hello! I am a 1st year undergrad studying biological sciences at Durham University, England.  This summer I plan on conducting observational research on Little Tern fledgeling behaviour to assess the impacts of the conservation work at Seaton Carew beach. My main motivation for my project is knowing I have the ability to create tangible, positive change from my research. It is crucial we protect our local wildlife now, since climate change and habitat destruction may render our ecosystems irreparable from loss of keystone species.  However, it is also important to enjoy the outdoors! I am really lucky to have grown up next to a nature reserve and love going on relaxed riverside walks and sunbathing with my friends there. I also like to thrift cute clothes, sing karaoke in college music rooms, have a post-library pint in the evening, stare longingly at dogs (I have 3 back home), and I love going to cafes! If anyone in Durham or Cambridge wants to go thrifting or to a cafe, I do know a few spots.

Hi! I study Social Policy at LSE and am very, very passionate about intersectional liberation! This summer I did my LIA as a Commissioning Officer at Essex County Council doing participatory research to develop new domestic abuse early intervention services - an area I'm extremely passionate about. One day I hope to be a lawyer as I'm sure many other Laidlaw(y)ers do!  Always happy to chat about migration, dance, pole fitness, languages (currently learning 🇨🇳🇷🇺🇩🇪), and connect with like-minded people. (If you want to go to RBO to watch ballet or pole hire with me please get in contact!) Have the best day if you're reading this xx

Hi everyone, I'm Jasmine, and I'm studying BA Geography at LSE. I'd like to consider myself as an at least partially competent social scientist, but my particular interests are in modern history, gender, and urban studies. I'll happily waffle on about any of those things, and I'm always excited to meet people with shared interests. Outside of academics, I enjoy ballet, marvel, disney music and playing with my dog.  I wanted to become a Laidlaw scholar because I enjoy doing research, and I wanted to see if I could take my burgeoning skills outside of university to make a difference (an utter cliché, I know). I'm hoping to do that this summer with my LiA working for Variety, a UK-based charity that looks to support children with disabilities from disadvantaged backgrounds. I will be running a research project investigating where there are gaps in the capacity of these children to access assistive technology, and what we can do about it. If you're interested, if you have any ideas or knowledge, send me a message or an email! 

Hello! I’m Trisha, a fourth-year student at Cornell University from Texas, USA. I’m majoring in Environment and Sustainability with a dual focus on food systems and wildlife conservation, and minoring 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. I will be returning to Oxford and Burunge in June and July 2025 to report my results.  As an aspiring environmental policymaker and journalist, I am passionate about making technical scientific information more accessible to the general public. At Cornell, I am an Institute of Politics and Global Affairs Scholar, through which I interact with policymakers monthly to discuss pervasive issues in international politics. I also speak Marathi, Spanish, and Swahili at varying levels of fluency and plan to continue to grow my language skills to communicate environmental issues across continents and cultures.  For fun, I love to turn even the most mundane materials into recycled art, spend hours on end working through jigsaw puzzles, and go for runs while listening to podcasts. And as a diehard foodie who loves to travel, I’m always looking for recommendations of places to visit or new recipes to try!  The Laidlaw Scholars Program has been an invaluable component of my undergraduate experience. The friendships I’ve made, as well as the research and language skills I’ve begun to develop, have encouraged me to continue to ask and seek answers to complicated questions about global affairs and environmental science. If anyone has questions or feedback about the Laidlaw Program, is interested in collaborating, or just wants to say hello, please feel free to email me at trb238@cornell.edu. I hope we can meet in person someday!