Hi there! My name is Finn Smyth and I am a final year student in Modern History at the University of St Andrews. For the Laidlaw programme my research focused on how Left political organisations across Scotland have performed, organizationally and ideologically, since devolution. I am also interested in modern political economy, and the emergence of modern political communications strategies and how they have been used in political campaigns since the 1980s.
My dissertation this year focuses on the modernisation of the Labour Party in the 1980s, and among recent projects I have been awarded grant funding to research the rise of populism in Europe alongside colleagues at Charles University, Prague.
I am a rising Columbia University sophomore majoring in Urban Studies, Environment & Sustainability, and a 2024 Laidlaw Scholar. My summer research is with the Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Preservation and Planning Mapping Historical New York Initiative. I digitize historical maps and census data, contributing to a digital atlas of early New York settlements, focusing on Queens and the Bronx.
My interests include urban planning and policy, green urbanism, grassroots organizing, and community storytelling. I also have a passion for transportation systems and quilting.
Hi! I am a rising Junior at Columbia College majoring in Cognitive Science and Visual Arts. As part of the 2024 Laidlaw cohort, this summer, I am deeply interested in the intersections of psychology, culture, and the arts. I will specifically focus on understanding the role of forgiveness in Asian American communities.
Reese Taylor majors in Philosophy, History, and Human Rights on a pre-law track. At the LaidLaw Institute, she aims to initiate research into the historical and contemporary impact of "self-help" rhetoric on Black communities, aspiring to unveil persistent oppression and advocate for meaningful change.
Hi, I am a member of Columbia University's Class of 2027. I am passionate about topics at the intersection between economics and political science, my scope is usually focused on the U.S. but I am excited to gain a more international perspective!
I have lived most of my life in the South of the U.S. and I am very proud to come from a Hispanic cultural background. In my free time, I enjoy exploring New York City or relaxing in my room with a good book (my current favorite author is Ocean Vuong).
Please reach out if my work interests you! I would love to discuss it and any related topics.
I am a sophomore at Columbia University, intending on majoring in Neuroscience and Behavior on the pre-med track. Throughout my four years of high school, I conducted research related to social science, depression, and animal behavior, and I am currently exploring behavioral and computational neuroscience research at the Columbia University Medical Center. I have received many awards for my research, such as becoming a 2023 ISEF Finalist to represent NYC. Outside of science, I am a published storyteller and poet on Teen Vogue, Green Asia Network, and the NYPL.