I'm a freshman at Columbia University with passion for Economic Development and Political Service. I am educated under practical fieldwork in a rural American county, consular work for the Pakistani Government, and an intensive coursework of Mathematics, Political Science, and Economics courses. When I'm not reading away, you'll find me mentoring high school students navigating the college application process and revitalizing American history curriculums through the UnTextbooked podcast.

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.

Hi all, my name is Zachary Ferretti! I am a senior at Tufts University, pursuing a major in Political Science as well as a double minor in Economics and Urban Studies. My independent research takes a sorely needed look at the 1,4-dioxane water crisis on Long Island, New York. For my leadership-in-action project, I spent the summer in Mexico City, building strategies for environmental resilience and mobilizing urban communities to address issues of climate change. I am always looking to exchange leadership tips and continue stengthening my relationships across the Laidlaw Network. I love meeting new people, so please don't hesitate to ever reach out!

Hi! I am Eirini Vryza (I often go by Irene). I am a student at the University of St Andrews, and I study English and Philosophy! I am particularly interested in ecocriticism as a critical approach to literature, and I love logic and philosophy of language in philosophy. I have also been quite impressed with object-oriented ontology, and I'd say that although my focus is primarily logic and philosophy of language, one of my favorite philosophers is Peter Singer! In my research project I will be looking at local narratives about nature and how anthropocentrism can be excluded from our collective narratives towards nature by exploring modern Greek literature (prose) and using object-oriented ontology, material ecocriticism and blue humanities as theoretical frameworks.  I am very engaged in effective altruism, particularly in the areas of animal welfare and climate change, and I am also part of the amazing organization that is in St Andrews and many other university called One For The World, which promotes effective giving for global health and extreme poverty. 

Hello there! My name is Aly, and I am a British undergraduate student at the University of Toronto, currently doing an International Affairs Specialist, with a Minor in Sustainability. My research project is → Linking Political orientation and Environmentalism: An analysis of changing environmental attitudes and subsequent party support in Canada. In my project, I aim to analyze the changing link between environmental attitudes and party support/political orientation in Canada, using Canadian Election Studies data from 2015 and 2019, and comparing my results with results from a previous study which carried out similar analysis on data from the 2004 and 2006 elections. I also hope to inform my analysis with a discussion of provincial differences in these links, hoping to shine a light on possible avenues towards improving engagement with voters for provincial elections which may help Canada in its terrible track record on improving its environment. 

Hello! I am a Lester B Pearson Scholar in my fourth year at UTM. I am majoring in Environmental Management and Geography and minoring in Environmental Policy and Law. Having grown up in the U.K., Pakistan, and Kenya, I have had the opportunity to work on various volunteering, afforestation, and educational projects which sparked my interest in sustainable development. I am particularly interested in learning about how to decolonize the ways in which we achieve environmental justice. Last summer, I conducted research on how the post-colonial context of Sub-Saharan Africa has impacted the region’s ability to tackle climate change. This summer, I worked as an intern and project manager for Youth4Nature, a youth-led non-profit organization that works to educate, empower and mobilize youth to lead on solutions for the ecological and climate crises.

Aspiring economist and researcher at Columbia with experience spearheading internationally recognized non-profits through collaborations with National Geographic, UNESCO, the Asian Development Bank, UNICEF USA, and the Philippines Department of Education.

Hi! I’m Nicole and I’m a first-year undergraduate at Columbia University planning to study astrophysics. This summer, I’m living in New York City and conducting remote astronomy research. My project is searching for gravitational wave counterparts, particularly binary-black hole mergers, by looking for signature halos of scattered X-ray light. Aside from research, I love rock climbing, playing tennis and piano, and exploring the city! 

Hi! My name is Jacqueline Yu, and I am a freshman at Columbia University. I am originally from Richmond, Virginia, and I am a first-generation Chinese immigrant. I am an avid appreciator of the arts, and I aspire to be a museum curator. My other interests include crafts, languages (especially French, Chinese, and Italian), and dance! One of my major goals is to increase the inclusivity and outreach of museums by critically evaluating the unique ethical issues that these cultural institutions face. 

I am an alumna of the 2021-22 Columbia Laidlaw Scholars cohort, and graduated from Columbia (CC'24) with majors in History and Mathematics. My Laidlaw research centered on the women's movement in early twentieth-century British India. My first summer focused on the Indian writer, educator, and activist Mahadevi Varma, and my second summer focused on networks of women from across the British empire attending the Oxford in the 1910s-30s at the Unstable Archives Project.

I'm a rising third-year undergraduate at Columbia University majoring in Neuroscience and Behaviour. I was originally born in New York City, yet have lived for the majority of my life in Nigeria and England. I'm passionate about research in medicine and climate science, and am looking forward to sharing what I've discovered as well as learn from my peers on the Scholars Network.

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.

I am a History of Art student at the University of St Andrews. As part of the 2021 Laidlaw Scholars cohort, I will be researching, 'Das Unheimliche: Symbolism, Surrealism and the Art of Introspection'. For the past four years, I have been volunteering with English Heritage, where I began as a Learning Team Manager and room Explainer in Kenwood House. I am currently working as a Young Producer for the organisation's 'Shout Out Loud' programme. During my second year at St Andrews, I enjoyed writing for the university's Calliope Arts Journal. 

I am a former Laidlaw Scholar (University of St Andrews, 2021 cohort) with a background in Philosophy and Mathematics. My research project focused on the Philosophy of Space Exploration and Exoplanet Science, and for my LiA project, I worked together with Think Pacific on a Youth and Development project in Fiji.  After my undergraduate studies, I went on to do a master’s degree in History and Philosophy of Science at Cambridge (yet another Laidlaw partner university!), building on my previous Laidlaw research. 

I'm currently 2/6th of the way to becoming a doctor 👩🏻‍⚕️   Studying medicine at The University of St Andrews means not only a great uni but also beautiful surroundings. I have interests in: lifestyle medicine, psychiatry, infectious diseases and emergency medicine. My dream is to become an expedition medic. Ask me what I'm reading just now I love to wild swim 🏊🏻‍♀️, wanna go?

I am an undergraduate Economics and Mathematics student in the 2021 Cohort of the University of St Andrews. My research project will be a statistical analysis of the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on international voting behaviours, particularly regarding the re-election of political leaders (or lack thereof), but my interests expand to anything Econ. 

Hi I'm Ana, I'm a Psychology student at the University of St Andrews! My project is focused on assessing how synchronous and asynchronous teaching styles for online lectures affect student performance in Brazil and in the UK. I am happy to chat to anyone who has experience in psychology and in research in similar areas as mine!