Melissa Rose (She/Her)

Development Partner - Laidlaw Scholars, University of York
Hannah Boyle

Undergraduate Student, University of York

I am a 2021 Laidlaw Scholar from the University of York, focusing my research on the question:  How was the U.K. Labour Party changed their discourse and proposed to challenge domestic poverty and inequality since 2010? I have been involved in Politics at a local, grassroots level, including community campaigning, and previously worked for Rachel Reeves MP in her constituency office. As a Politics student, I am interested in all things political and anything related to International Relations, with particular interest on the European Union, Women in Politics and International Development. 
Sohail Hussain

Medical Student, University of York

Zara Sharif

Student, University of York

Hello! My name is Zara Sharif and I am a 2021 Laidlaw Scholar from the University of York, where I study Education! My research topic looks at body hair and racialized bullying of teenage girls in UK secondary schools, and how this interacts with the relationship between misogyny and racism. I chose this research topic because I think we are seeing a cultural shift (in some ways) towards a greater acceptance of body hair, but I've found this shift often leaves out women of colour, and ignores how race and gender can intersect to form teenage girls experiences and their relationships with their body, their sense of self and how they perceive themselves. I also want to see how greater society perceive body hair on women of colour in particular and how social media can influence/shape/change these opinions.
Mary Friend

Natural Sciences Student, University of York

Natural Sciences MSci student at University of York specialising in neuroscience. I am fascinated by the brain and the connections within it, and enjoy combining my knowledge of chemistry, biology, psychology and philosophy to generate new ideas.
William Nyss

Student, University of York

Hiya! 👋  My name is Will and I am a student at the University of York studying Politics and International Relations. My Laidlaw research project looks at the extent governments are punished for the handling of the Covid pandemic and how governments utilise blame avoidance strategies.   I enjoy mountaineering around the UK and getting involved in youth politics such as with the British Youth Council and similar institutions. My passions would fall into having a love of reading and learning new things focusing on topics of self-development and psychology. 
Pritika Ganguly

Student, University of York

Hello! I am Pritika and am a second-year Medical Engineering student at the University of York. my research proposal is on how to develop a prosthetic that can grow with a child, so the child will not need to replace the prosthetic often. Furthermore, looking into the use of AI so the prosthetic can learn and develop alongside the side.
Lydia Rose Haines

Biology undergraduate, University of York

Hi, my name is Lydia Haines and I am a second year undergraduate student, studying biology, at the University of York. For my research project I looked at mutations in inflammasome components that are associated with Multiple Sclerosis. For my leadership in action project, I spent 6 weeks on a health promotion project in Jubairata village, Fiji with Think Pacific.
Diyar Keyhanfar

Scholar, University of York

Hello! I am a second year student English Literature student and a 2021 Laidlaw scholar at the University of York. My research focuses on young adult and coming-of-age literature and my aim is to design an undergraduate module on this genre that could potentially be taught as part of a literature degree.
Catherine Prudence Christabel

Student, University of York

London Business School (LBS) was established in 1964 to improve management abilities by ‘equipping men and women to take decisions more quickly, more confidently, and with a better chance of proving right in the unpredictable conditions of business life.’ Our commitment to women is embedded within our foundation. Over the last 55 years it has become a central part of our identity, and it is now more important than ever.
There are 25 annual Laidlaw Scholarships that provide funding to enable you to develop leadership and research skills through a range of personal development activities and two six week periods of project work throughout your time at Leeds.
The Laidlaw Scholars Programme has been made available to HKU students (HKU Laidlaw Scholars) in 2019 by the generous funding support from Lord Laidlaw of Rothiemay. As a prestigious scholarship programme embedded at the Universities of Leeds, Oxford, UCL, York, to name just a few, the Laidlaw Programme equips students with research and leadership skills to help them pursue their academic and professional aspirations beyond their current course of study.
The University of Toronto joined the Laidlaw Undergraduate Research and Leadership Program in 2018 with the first group of scholars beginning their research in 2019. Funded by Lord Laidlaw and driven by his passion for student development, the scholarship at the University of Toronto aims to help students develop key skills as they aspire to be leaders in their field.
It is only fitting that a leading university offers a prestigious course in leadership. The Laidlaw Undergraduate Research and Leadership Scholarship at the University of York equips self-motivated and ambitious undergraduate students with the knowledge, skills and experience to become leaders in their chosen fields.
Penny Foster

Development Partner - Laidlaw Scholars, University of York

Sarah Farrell

Development Partner , University of York

The University of Durham joined the Laidlaw Scholars Undergraduate Research & Leadership Programme in 2017. This visionary programme builds on Lord Laidlaw’s commitment to supporting undergraduate student development and education. It gives undergraduate students the research, leadership and networking skills they will need to achieve their academic and professional goals in the future.
Dan-Thi Nguyen

Program Manager, EPFL

Dan-Thi is an enthusiastic professional with +8 years of work experience in strategic marketing, business development and communication within the higher education industry. She currently works at EPFL as a Project Manager for the School enhanced learning programs (incl. the Laidlaw program). Dan-Thi likes all aspects related to her position but what she especially loves is interacting with students and helping them grow personally and professionally. Dan-Thi has lived in fast-paced environments in Asia (Hong Kong, Japan) and she is now based in Lausanne, Switzerland. She enjoys travelling and always looks for discovering new cultures. She can speak French, English and Vietnamese. You can talk with her about anything regarding food, sport and travel. She is a really bad swimmer and has absolutely no green thumb! :)
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.