Lucia Cathers

Student, University of St Andrews
Joshua Chapman

Student, University of York

I am a Politics and International Relations student at the University of York. My research project is titled: 'How do social demographic changes influence the spread of populism'. I will look at the Brexit referendum and Trump's election in 2016. These will be my focal points from which I hope to find broader trends about the causes for the growth of populism in modern democracies. Please ask me about anything politics or international relations related, in particular, political behaviour and psychology; i.e. if something happens, what happens next and why?
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.
Sophia Brousset

Student, University of St Andrews

I am an incoming MPhil candidate in Visual, Material and Museum Anthropology at the University of Oxford. My Laidlaw research explores the Incan Empire's positive view of female homosexuality, exploring how their diverse understandings of gender influenced these views on sexuality. It also considered how La Conquista's use of a European lens and translation when documenting Incan civilisation resulted in the erasure of much of the sexual and gender diversity which existed throughout Incan Peru.  Show more
Anna Lysenko

Fourth-Year International Relations Specialist Student, University of Toronto

Hi everyone! I'm Anna Lysenko. I'm a fourth-year undergraduate student in the International Relations Specialist program at the University of Toronto. I'm passionate about cyberpolitics and cybersecurity: my Laidlaw research project is about the effect of cyber-attacks on democracy.  My hobbies include reading, writing, travelling, drawing, horse riding, meeting up with friends, and watching movies. I'm excited to connect with new people who share my passions and interests :) 
Alexander Beckett

Student, University of St Andrews

Hi everyone, I'm Alex. I come from Northern Ireland, and am currently reading French and Philosophy at the University of St Andrews. I'm interested in politics, philosophy, journalism, and new ideas - I find the old ones quite stale!  Previously, I've worked in hospitality, as appears to be the trodden path for British students. Additionally, I have worked in logistics - a real eye-opener, given Brexit and its ramifications in Northern Ireland - and have done some adhoc Diversity and Inclusion for a legal firm in my hometown. My research project for the summer of 2022 will be entitled "The Viability of Novel Identities in Response to Separatist Tensions: A Comparison of French Algeria and Northern Ireland."
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.
Bryley Williams

Student, Columbia University

Hi! My name is Bryley (she/her), and I am a second-year student at Columbia University. I study History, and I am deeply interested in memory, religion, and the preservation and adaptation of culture. As a Laidlaw Scholar, I am researching Khmer Buddhist revival in post-genocide Cambodia, looking especially at how social, spiritual, and moral orders were and are intertwined in processes of reconstruction.
Sofya Dobrynina

Student, University of St Andrews

I am a third year undergraduate student at the University of St Andrews studying physics (with a focus on experimental physics). My project this summer involves researching ENZ (epsilon-near-zero) metasurfaces, focusing more specifically their design process, and using simulation techniques to try to optimise this process.   Outside of academia, I enjoy being out in nature, and regularly go on walks/hikes around the beautiful countryside around the town. Having lived and grown up in several countries in Europe, I am also an avid language learner, and love connecting with people across different countries and cultures.   
Toni Andres

student, University of St Andrews

I am currently in my fourth year of an undergraduate degree in Classics/Comparative Literature at the University of St Andrews and am particularly interested in accessibility within academia through public engagement and community building. In my research project Queer Catullus, Catullan Queers, I looked at the history of queer adaptations of poems by the ancient Roman poet Catullus. Based on this research, I set up the collaborative arts project Catullan Identities which invited people to respond to the ancient poems creatively. During my Leadership-in-Action project I transformed this approach into a series of queer creative workshops which I ran in different parts of Scotland and that aimed at empowering queer communities in the face of rising transphobia and queerphobia across the UK. Please feel free to browse the gallery of Catullan Identities on my website and don’t hesitate to get in touch with any questions.
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.
Joseph Edwards

Student, University of St Andrews

I am currently a fifth year student studying for an MMath Mathematics at the University of St Andrews. During the summer of 2021, I undertook a research project into Algebraic Constraint Geometry and Graph Rigidity. In the summer of 2022, I undertook a Leadership in Action Project in Fiji with Think Pacific. Alongside maths, I also really enjoy playing around with computers! At the moment, I am learning how to use HTML and Ruby so that I can host and maintain my own website. I also hope to take a course on machine learning soon. Outside of academia, I am a big fan of the outdoors. For the past two years I have been learning to kayak and have really enjoyed the opportunity to explore Scotland whilst doing so.
Claire Taylor

Undergraduate Research and Leadership Scholar, Laidlaw Foundation

I am a fourth-year English and Modern History student at the University of St Andrews. My research looked at the intersection of gender history and transnational history by examining women's involvement in the Esperanto movement in Scotland and the Midlands, and my leadership-in-action was the Think Pacific Health Promotion project. I'm interested in all things art, history, literature, and social change! 
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. 
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.