Kimberley Guy

B/Sc Adult Nursing , University of Leeds
Emily Shepherdson (she/they)

Student , University of York

Hi! I'm originally from Hull, East Yorkshire but I'm currently a second year undergraduate student studying for a BA in Linguistics and ab initio Italian at the University of York. Alongside my studies, I am also the current blog coordinator for the University Feminist Society. Being a Laidlaw Scholar allows me to research the success of speech and language therapies in my project entitled 'Hidden behind a smile: acquisition and societal perception of speech sounds in children with cleft lip and palate.'!  My pronouns are she/they, please feel free to use either! 
Oran O'Neill

Student, University of Leeds

Hi there! I'm Oran, a final year student of International History and Politics. With the Laidlaw Foundation, I completed an independent research project on the history of an early international voluntary organisation in the summer of 2021. Also with the programme, I took part in the 'Youth and Community' project with ThinkPacific in the Fiji Islands in the summer of 2022.  All of this has enhanced my capacity for leadership in a globalising world. Please have a look through my profile to learn more about me and my work as a Laidlaw Leadership and Research Scholar. 
Claudia Friel

Student, Trinity College Dublin

Hi! My name is Claudia, and I’m an undergraduate philosophy student at TCD. My Laidlaw research project regards the public’s reaction to the Covid-19 related lockdown measures, with a view to providing some insight into the current socio-political zeitgeist. I’ll be doing this with the help of the work of political theorist & philosopher Hannah Arendt.
Pia Tiwari

Student, University of St Andrews

Pronouns: she/her, they/them I am an undergraduate scholar and an International Relations and Social Anthropology student at St Andrews. Growing up in various countries across Asia and Europe, I have become particularly interested in global politics, postcolonialism, and social justice. I am also passionate about languages, and speak Chinese, Persian, Urdu, French, and Spanish to varying degrees, in addition to my native Hindi and English.
Victoria Lynn

Student, University of Leeds

Hi, my names Victoria Lynn and I'm currently in my final year studying LLB Law at the University of Leeds! My research focuses on the perceptions of school staff of autistic girls in secondary education, a topic which is heavily under-represented in the wider Autism literature due to the misconception of Autism being a 'male' condition, largely due to difference in presentation, and a higher number of autistic girls masking their Autistic traits. This topic is one which is also close to home, having had many of my own concerns throughout education regarding Dyslexia, which was often dismissed as I was not deemed to be "struggling enough." Both my own experience and my knowledge learned through researching this topic has inspired me to write my final year legal dissertation on the "right to inclusive education" (Article 24 of the United Nations Convention of Persons with Disabilities) of Autistic pupils in secondary education in England.
Lauren Pereira-Greene

Medical Student, University College London

Fourth year UCL medic with an iBSc in Medical Anthropology. I am passionate about increasing access to medicine and am the Co-Founder of a student-led widening participation group, DIMA (Diversity in Medical Academia) @dimafoundation.
Eleanor Thurston (she/her)

BSc Sustainability and Environmental Management, University of Leeds

Hi! My name's El and I study BSc Sustainability and Environmental Science at the University of Leeds. I'm passionate about sustainability and my research with Laidlaw will be investigating healthy food habits in young people and identifying healthy food brands in the UK. Aside from that, I love art, volunteering and dance!
Samraggi Hazra

Undergraduate Scholar, University of Toronto

Hi! My name is Samraggi Hazra, and I am a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Toronto. I am pursuing a double major in International Relations and Ethics, Society, and Law, as well as a minor in Political Science. 
Julie Dory (she/her)

Student, Trinity College Dublin

Hi there! My name is Julie and I am a Third Year student of English Literature & German at Trinity College Dublin. On a day-to-day basis, I serve as the Liaison Officer for Trinity Q Soc and as the Student Union Class Rep for Third Year students in Joint Honors English Literature. My primary interests lie in contemporary literature and its thematic relevance to current events. My research project will look at internal misogyny in the works of Margaret Atwood. I look forward to getting to connect with you and getting involved with the programme! 
Victor Gachoki Mwendia

Student, University of Leeds

Hi! I'm Victor Gachoki, an enthusiast in the world of innovative technology. I study Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering and I'm currently in my first year. I love to read, blog and play rugby. Being a Laidlaw Scholar means the world to me, and I can't wait to grasp every inch of experience through both the research and leadership program.
Niamh Adamson (she/her)

Undergraduate Scholar , University of Leeds

Hey :) I'm Niamh (she/her), I study Classical literature and Italian at the University of Leeds. My research focuses on mapping out the circulation of Italian literature between the eighteenth and nineteenth century in Leeds. During the research period I'll be collaborating with Leeds library, helping them catalogue the remainder of their Italian collection into their database. 
Megan Lupo

Student, University of Leeds

Hello my name is Megan and I am a University of Leeds scholar, currently studying abroad at Lund University, Sweden! This summer I completed my independent Leadership-in-Action placement at the non-profit Sharing Excess, in Philadelphia. It is a food rescue organisation and I worked in the distribution team helping to deliver the rescued food to people in need. Last summer, I completed my research project with Bite Back 2030, looking at the negative effects of delivery apps on young people's health and trying to come up with ways to minimise this through legislation.
Eva Macdonald

Student, Durham University

Hello! I'm Eva, an history undergraduate from Durham University. My interests lie in uncovering often overlooked narratives within minority histories. My research project will focus on medieval race theories through the lens of the Hereford World Map.
Eleanor Campbell

Student, Columbia University

Hello! My name is Eleanor Campbell, and I am a 2021 Laidlaw Scholar. I am a student at Columbia University in the City of New York, and I am originally from Raleigh, NC, USA. I major in Economics and am particularly interested in Behavioral Economics. During my first year with Laidlaw, I worked with Professor Hitendra Wadhwa of the Columbia Business School in developing a leadership fellowship for aspiring young changemakers. For my Leadership in Action project, I worked with World Vision on a menstrual hygiene management campaign in West Gonja, Ghana.
Hillary Yip

Student, The University of Hong Kong

Hi! I am Hillary from The University of Hong Kong majoring in Biomedical Sciences with a minor in Chemistry. My research aims to create a compound that specifically targets a cancer-related protein, and to investigate its mechanism and efficacy.
Polina Foteva

Third year, BSc Biochemistry, University of St Andrews

Hi, I'm Polina and I'm a Biochemstry student at the University of St Andrews. I am interested in the properties of enzymes and mechanism of biocatalysis. It is really exciting to be part of the Laidlaw Network. I had the most amazing summer in my life last year, doing research in MacNeill Lab, St Andrews. Looking forward to my second summer as a Scholar, which I will spend volunteering in Ghana.
Molly Buxton-Allday

Student, University of Leeds

I am currently a third year studying Physics at the University of Leeds. My research intertwines my knowledge of physics, my love for fashion and my desire to implement sustainability. My self proposal involves investigating all cellulose composites as possible green composite materials to combat the textile waste produced at the hands of fast fashion.
Emma Merryweather

Consultant Scientist, EY

Graduate Natural Scientist, specialised in Nanoscience. My Laidlaw research project explored thermoelectric materials to biomedical devices with a patient's very own body heat. Now employed as a Consultant Scientist for the EY R&D tax team.
Pearls Eddo

Law (Industrial) LLB, University of Leeds

Hi👋🏾 I’m Pearls I am a final year Law student at the University of Leeds. I recently completed a placement year at The Walt Disney Company as a CPGP Contract Management Intern (hence the 'industrial' next to my degree title) My first-year research project looked at the way game-based learning could be incorporated into Multi-Academy Trusts (aka MATs) to improve the academic attainment and classroom engagement of GCSE-year black students. My Leadership-in-Action project was with MakeSense and focused on empowering minority communities within Mexico City.
Elena Chatrchyan

Student, Cornell University

My name is Elena Chatrchyan (she/her) and I am an incoming third year student, studying International Agriculture and Rural Development at Cornell University. My concentration at school is in Economics and Development and I am also minoring in Business. My research is about current soil health initiatives in Armenia, what farmers know about soil health and what do they do to manage and actively improve soil health. Ultimately, with this research I am going to be developing a soil health roadmap for Armenia. I chose this research topic because I find soils really interesting and have been actively working with soils for the past year. Healthy soil is going to be the key to not only adapt to climate change but help us mitigate it as well, making soils extremely important to study.  I am from Ithaca, New York in the United States. When I'm not studying/working, I like to ski in the winter and swim in the summer! I also love all types of music. When I have a lot of extra time, I like baking and cooking. Ask me about anything I've said above. Like most people, I love talking about my hobbies, studies and work. That being said, I'd love to connect with any other Scholars! I love learning about other peoples hobbies, and work, especially those belonging to my fellow scholars!