Hi! My name is Spencer Davimos, and I am a rising junior at Barnard College. Through the Laidlaw Scholars Program, I am conducting research on the transfer pipeline from community college to 4-year college within the City University of New York (CUNY). I am hoping to particularly center the experiences and perspectives of students of color to open up a wider conversation about increasing equity in postsecondary education access. 

Jahir is a junior majoring in Quantitative Economics with a Graduate Certificate in Business from the Fletcher School at Tufts University. His entrepreneurial interests are edtech, civictech/media, communication intelligence, and consumer AI. Besides entrepreneurship, he is interested in Management Consulting, Business/Investment Research, Private Equity, Venture Capital, and Impact Investing. Jahir co-founded AdjunctX, which received the Brandeis Ain Summer Start-up Award and the Tufts Entrepreneurship & Innovation Fund grant. It's an expert network for consumer lifelong learning and AI-driven networking.

Hello! I am a rising Sophomore at the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, planning to major in International Economics, with a minor in Statistics. I love to play tennis, volleyball, and I am planning to run my first half marathon this fall.  My research project for the summer of 2024 delves into the digital divide of broadband internet access in impoverished communities in Baltimore, Maryland, my hometown, and aims to establish policy recommendations in order to maintain equitable access for all Baltimoreans. 

I’m an International History major at Georgetown University in Qatar, also pursuing a certificate in Media and Politics. My academic focus lies in understanding the post-Arab Spring Middle East through qualitative research—examining revolutions, civil wars, and Islamist movements to uncover the human stories behind these events. I’m especially drawn to the intersection of academia, art, and journalism. I recently worked on a creative media project documenting the making of a Sudanese feature film during the ongoing conflict in Egypt, and I’ve explored the political culture of Syrian diaspora youth and the voices of Gazan evacuees in Qatar. This summer, I’m interning with Migrants Organise in London, supporting grassroots advocacy, community organizing, and storytelling projects with migrants and refugees. Across all my work, I aim to tell stories with empathy and depth—highlighting resilience, dignity, and the power of collective action.

I am an accomplished entertainment industry professional with a global track record in product development and operations. I have expertise in leading cross-functional teams and leading complex projects such as the launch of digital products globally. Currently, I am responsible for the integration of Paramount’s streaming products with key partners in the UK market. I consider myself an inclusive and inspirational female leader. I am passionate about digital innovation and transformative business initiatives. I have a unique blend of operations proficiency, technical expertise and business acumen.

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.

Hi! My name is Jimena Alvarez and I am a Peruvian second year student in Trinity College Dublin. I currently concluded my second year studying Political Science and Economics. My research project is titled "Exploratory research into the support worker’s perceptions of the integration experiences of Ukrainian refugees in Ireland".  The purpose of the research is to gather relevant and comprehensive data about support worker’s perceptions of the integration experiences of Ukrainian refugees in Ireland. I will be conducting a focus group and individual interviews with 12 support workers in the field of refugee aid.  I am very excited to connect with other Laidlaw scholars regardless of how different our research projects may be. I am always interested in learning from people with different backgrounds and interests. Feel free to contact me. See you all soon in the Laidlaw annual conference here in Trinity College Dublin!  

Hi, I'm Nicolas, a Micro-Engineering student at EPFL (Switzerland) who loves a nice conversation and helping out.  As part of EPFL's 2023 Laidlaw Cohort, I spent my Research internship using robotics to study honeybees, then doing my LiA developing robotics solutions to help protect the Great Barrier Reef. Feel free to contact me for anything, from nanotechnologies and robotics to flyfishing :)

I am a student of History and the History of Art and Architecture at Trinity College Dublin with a passion for social and cultural history. My research on the intersection of space and sexuality has led me to Urbanism more broadly, with a specific interest in affective experiences of urban space and architecture.