Undergraduate student at Cornell University majoring in Environment and Sustainability with a concentration in policy and governance. Double minoring in Urban and Regional Studies, and Sustainable Business and Economics.
Hi! My name is Fiona Neibart and I’m a rising sophomore studying Policy Analysis and Management in the Brooks School of Public Policy. The goal of my research is understanding the role emerging market multinationals play in the global economy by contributing to the annual Emerging Markets Report from Cornell’s Emerging Markets Institute with Professors Casanova.
I hope to bring a positive and determined attitude to the project and program, as I work with my fellow Laidlaw Scholars and members of the EMI. My goals for the project consist of understanding how the global economy and emerging multinationals impact the lives of not just their own citizens but those around the world. In addition, I aim to become a better leader and team member in my communities.
I'm a junior at Cornell University majoring in Government, History, and China & Asia Pacific Studies, and minoring in Law & Society and Information Science. Coming from Hong Kong and Taiwan, I have a very strong research interest in US-China relations and the Taiwan security problem. I will be working on the topic of the impact of the US-China relations on semiconductor supply chain disruption, and its implication to Vietnam's emerging economy. This summer, I will be working as a research intern for the Cornell Emerging Markets Institute, gaining hands-on experience in using databases like Capital IQ, SDC Platinum, and Bloomberg.
I am a sophomore at Cornell University where I am in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences as a Global Development major. I am interested in youth socioeconomic mobility, social psychology, social structures, and cross-cultural dynamics. Across these disciplines, I am interested in youth economic migration with a focus on migration within and out of the African continent. I then want to use this knowledge and passion to better social institutions through evaluation. With prior experience volunteering as a leader in a camp to serving as a Diversity Ambassador for the Cornell Undergraduate Office, I am passionate about understanding youth from first-hand experience and perspectives. I aspire to pursue work in the international space and work with policy, administration, and/or law for an educational or youth development-centered intergovernmental organization.
Video Introduction:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qbIF--3xH7yYlwUFUGGNnkTtTeWpkU4H/view?usp=sharing
Hi, my name is Eliza Wadell. I am a junior studying Environment & Sustainability and Economics at Cornell University. As part of the Laidlaw Program, I spent this past summer conducting research on the impact of harmful algal blooms on consumer choices in Lake Victoria, Kenya under the mentorship of Dr. Kathryn Fiorella.
Lain is an undergraduate majoring in computer science and Cornell's College Scholar Program, where they study inclusive natural language processing. They intend to graduate in 2026. Lain grew up in New York City. They love performing, and have been onstage at Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden and Citi Field. They also love to learn from others and will happily engage in intellectual conversations (especially when someone else is excited). They hope to work in making AI more inclusive.
Here is a little introductory video made for the Cornell Laidlaw Program.
Hi, I’m Anna Rose Marion, and I am interested in climate change from a cultural and policy standpoint. I am double majoring in Environment & Sustainability and Anthropology at Cornell University. I plan to pursue graduate work and a career focused on climate solutions. I am from a small, coastal community in New Hampshire. I like to spend my spare time dancing and enjoying the outdoors.
My Laidlaw research is focused on exploring a potential new solution to promote climate mitigation and resilience in Southeast Asia. I will be working on a project to investigate the sociopolitical and technological potential and obstacles of using algae for biofuel and carbon emissions sequestration in the Philippines. I am specifically interested in exploring the sociocultural ramifications of algal mitigation and adaptation strategies. I plan to pose the question: how could algae technologies impact traditional human-environmental relationships in The Philippines? I’m interested in whether these impacts are influenced by the presence and quality of community engagements and partnerships, and who benefits most from these technologies. Evaluating new climate mitigation proposals is crucial to determine whether they are well-suited for various global contexts and whether they will positively affect those most vulnerable.
I’d love to chat with others who are interested in the intersection of climate and culture!
Watch this video for a brief introduction of myself!
Trinity College Dublin joined the Laidlaw Network in 2018. The Laidlaw Programme offers undergraduate students at Trinity the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills, and experience to become active global citizens and future leaders.
Laidlaw Scholars work with an academic supervisor on a self-directed, independent research project and take part in a suite of integrated leadership development activities which culminate in a challenging applied leadership experience. Laidlaw Scholars join a community of learning, driven by curiosity and collaboration, which enables diverse voices to make a meaningful impact.
The Laidlaw Programme at Trinity is open to undergraduates in the second year of a four year programme or the second/third year of a five year undergraduate/integrated masters programme.
Hello! I’m Trisha, a second-year student at Cornell University from Texas, USA. I’m majoring in Environment and Sustainability with a concentration in Food Systems, and minoring in International Relations, International Trade and Development, and Climate Change. 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 — a project I plan to further during my LiA summer in Tanzania.
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 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’d love to say hi, and I hope we can meet in person someday!
Watch this video for a brief introduction to myself.
Lauren Tuckley is the Director of the Center for Research and Fellowships at Georgetown University.
Dr. Tuckley is dedicated to designing, developing, and administering transformative co-curricular research programs and mentoring Georgetown University students and young alumni competing for national and international fellowships.
In 2023, she received her Ph.D. in Writing and Rhetoric at George Mason University. Her research focuses on genre theory, occluded academic genres, and the rhetorical pedagogy of the personal statement.
In 2016, she was the recipient of a Fulbright International Education Administrators award to Korea. And in 2017, she was a recipient of Georgetown University’s President’s Excellence Award.
Laura Littlefair
Laidlaw Scholars Leadership and Research Programme Manager, Durham University
Joel McKeever
Student Employability Officer (Laidlaw Programme Coordinator), Trinity College Dublin
Joel is the Student Employability Officer with the Trinity Careers Service. He manages a range of co-curricular student development projects, including the Trinity Employability Awards and the Laidlaw Programme.
As the Laidlaw coordinator for Trinity he manages leadership development activities, student coaching, programme design, and the day-to-day support of the Laidlaw Scholars.
Prior to joining the Careers Service, he worked in Trinity's Academic Registry as a Team Manager (Communications and Human Resources) with a focus on developing modern and inclusive support services for students and staff. He has previously worked with Trinity's Office of Global Relations to develop the Global Room and Campus Visit initiatives for international students.
He is a founder and current Co-Chair of Trinity's LGBT+ Staff Network and is committed to Trinity's mission of fostering excellence by empowering accessibility and diversity in higher education. A graduate of Trinity, he holds a B.A. (Mod.) in English Studies, a Special Certificate in Academic Practice, and a nominal Master in Arts (Dubl.) from the university as well as a CIPD Diploma in Learning and Development (CIPD).
As Associate Provost of Tufts University, Dr. Dawn Geronimo Terkla oversees the Offices of Institutional Research & Evaluation (OIR&E); The Center for Enhancement of Learning & Teaching (CELT), and the Tufts Laidlaw Scholars Program: serves on the USAID funded EPT2 One Health Workforce Project; provides guidance across the university on issues relating to institutional research, outcomes assessment, and evaluation; provides critical management information to senior administrators; and serves on university-wide committees (Academic Council, Administrative Council, Social Science IRB, Tufts IT Steering Committee, Information Stewardship Sub-committee, Student Information Steering Committee, as well as, co-chairing the University-Wide Committee on Teaching and Faculty Development.
Dr. Terkla is the University Accreditation Liaison Officer to the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). In addition, she participates in school-level accreditations, providing support as needed.
She has held leadership positions in several organizations serving as President of both the North East Association for Institutional Research and the Association for Institutional Research, as well as the Chair of the US Department of Educational National Postsecondary Executive Committee (NPEC) Council on Postsecondary Education Statistics. In addition, she has served on the Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium Board of Directors, the UCLA/ACE Cooperative Institutional Research Program Advisory Committee, National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities Commission on Policy Analysis and the National Student Clearinghouse Advisory Committee.
Dr. Terkla earned a doctorate in higher education research from Harvard University, a Masters of Public Policy from the University of California Berkeley, and a bachelors degree from Ohio Wesleyan University where she majored in politics and government. In addition, she was awarded a management certificate from the Management Institute for Women in Higher Education.
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.