I am a final-year undergraduate scholar pursuing a BA (Hons) in English Literature and Linguistics at the University of York. Besides being a scholar, I am the Arts and Humanities Subject Lead on the Scholar's Network and the 2020-22 Arts and Humanities faculty rep at the University of York! My first summer of research was based in phonetics, entitled 'The untapped potential of human language: Investigating the perception of typologically unattested and rare sounds'. In it, I get to look at phonemes that are not commonly found in speech, if at all!
My Leadership in Action project was based around the experiences of students with disabilities and long-term health conditions when accessing Higher Education in the UK. I'm currently creating teacher training based on the paper I wrote for this project, and working with UCAS to help inform UK university admissions policy.
Incoming second-year student at Georgetown University, pursuing degrees in Economics & Government! I am conducting research on reinterpreting the Child Tax Credit (CTC) as an automatic stabilizer. Passionate about social policy, international affairs, and the intersection between the private and public sectors.
I'm living in the U.S. right now but I used to live in Singapore, Thailand, and Morocco so I consider each of those places my home.
Government and American Studies student at Georgetown University with an interest in attending law school. Will be conducting research regarding postsecondary education attainment among rural students with the Laidlaw Undergraduate Leadership and Research Scholarship Program.
I'm Alannah Nathan, a Senior in Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, pursuing a degree in Global Business with a minor in French. My research outside of class work focuses primarily on the energy transition from an economic and environmental perspective.
My 2022 Laidlaw Undergraduate Research project seeks to evaluate how three Oil and Gas Majors – Eni, Total Energies, and ConocoPhillips – position themselves in the energy transition, with a focus on a possible discrepancy between how the Majors talk about the energy transition in annual reports and what commitments they plan to make (example: Net-Zero by 2050) as well as where they spend their money.
My 2023 Leadership-in-Action project is work with the World Resources Institute (WRI) within the Forest Program. I will be supporting two key programs: the Land Accelerator and TerraFund. WRI’s Land Accelerator program is aimed at supporting entrepreneurs based in Africa restore degraded soil through for-profit business models. The program provides capacity building for the entrepreneurs with trainings in pitching, financials, business development and more. I will be helping run these trainings and providing assistance as needed to ensure quality results from the program. I will also be assisting with TerraFund which provides loans for entrepreneurs restoring degrading land (including some of the LA alumni).
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.
I am a graduate of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering at the University of Rwanda. I am also the STEM Subject Lead. My Laidlaw research project is about bringing a system that could help minimize the number of high-school and primary students who bring cell phones to school since it's one of the major sources of distraction. I did my Master's degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University Africa, majoring in Cybersecurity and Data Science.
Hello! I've been part of the Laidlaw Foundation for over 4 years, working on strengthening our global community and broadening our initiatives aimed at breaking the cycle of poverty, reducing inequality, and cultivating a new generation of leaders.
I'm currently completing a Masters in Anthropology & Professional Practice at UCL, delving into my passion for using ethnographic methods and design to effect systemic change, particularly in the education sector. My journey in design has been diverse, beginning with graphic design, transitioning into UX/UI and service design, and now evolving into systemic design and innovation.
Originally from Kazakhstan 🇰🇿, I pursued my undergraduate degree in Human Sciences at UCL. I'm an amateur naturalist, avid swimmer, and an obsessive podcast listener. Let's connect and chat—drop me a line and find me on LinkedIn! 💬👀
I am the founder of buddhistphilosophy.co.uk where I currently host podcasts with expert guests in Buddhist philosophical practice and theory. With this project, I am to contribute toward correcting the entrenched Eurocentric bias in philosophy by creating an inclusive space for learning about Buddhist philosophy.
As a Laidlaw Scholar, I have researched on researched philosophy of time, Buddhist philosophy, and philosophy of language. My research output includes a paper entitled Meaning in Gibberish (forthcoming in Aporia). I have presented this paper and discussed related issues in talks and workshops at the University of St Andrews and the University of Edinburgh.
Language learning holds a high in priority in my studies and research. I have studied some Pali (OCBS levels 1 and 2) and I read French fluently.
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me if you have any interest in the following: Buddhism, Buddhist philosophy, Ambedkar studies, women and Buddhist philosophy, cross-cultural philosophy, critical theory, French philosophy, Laruelle’s non-philosophy, non-Buddhism, philosophy of nonsense, philosophy of death.
Hello! I was Laidlaw scholar in 2019, and I studied national, regional, and local identity in northern Tajikistan through the lens of women's fashion. For a year after graduating, I worked for the UN Mine Action Service which removes landmines from conflict and post-conflict regions. I then worked for the Laidlaw Foundation 2021-22 and completed a Master's Degree in Anthropology and Development Management at the London School of Economics. Now I'm working with the UN on innovative finance for biodiversity conservation, focusing on marine ecosystems.
Please feel free to reach out on the network, on LinkedIn, or by email. I'm always happy to meet new people and chat.
Final-year Durham student studying Politics; President of Durham Laidlaw Scholars' Organisation; Incoming ESRC-funded MA-PhD student in NINE DTP. My research so far has covered ideological identity in left-wing student activism, examining the interplay of social movement theory and the philosophy of identity, and my general research interests include citizenship education, democratic theory and the occasional bit of political anthropology. Outside of my studies it's mainly twentieth-century literature, cocktails and cooking!
A graduate of Cambridge University, Susanna’s professional experience includes over 15 years in senior leadership roles in international B2B and learning businesses. Susanna began her career at the Institute for International Research (IIR) where she first worked with Lord Laidlaw, rising to Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). When IIR, which was the world’s largest organiser of commercial conferences, was acquired by Informa plc in 2005 Susanna was appointed CMO of the enlarged group and also led the public company’s investor relations programmes. She subsequently joined Emap Ltd as Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer and CEO of Emap Networks, that group’s conferences business. Later she became CEO of the fashion industry forecaster WGSN and was latterly Group Content and Marketing Partner of the leading strategy consultancy Brunswick Group. A German-American raised and educated in the UK and a committed internationalist, Susanna has been involved in globally trading businesses throughout her career, directing activity in the Americas, across continental Europe, and the Asia Pacific. Susanna has been extensively involved with education and professional development over many years. She was Head of Group Training and led the commercial acquisition and integration of a portfolio of corporate training businesses whilst at IIR; and created learning academies at both Informa and Emap. She believes experiencing and appreciating different cultures promotes better global understanding, creativity and leadership. She is passionate about the power of education to transform lives; and believes that we need to develop a new generation of diverse leaders who are curious, bold and devoted to decency, truthfulness, and innovation. Susanna is committed to diversity not only as a societal imperative but as a critical component of commercial success. As an advisor to the trustees of the Foundation, Susanna first learnt about its purpose and programmes before becoming its Chief Executive responsible for the Laidlaw Schools Trust, the Laidlaw Scholars and its other education programmes. Susanna read English and Philosophy at Newnham College, University of Cambridge. She has five half blues in swimming and water polo; and played netball and rowed for Newnham.