Dear Laidlaw community, My name is Esteban Germann, and I am thrilled to be part of the Laidlaw Scholars Network as a 2023 Laidlaw Scholar EPFL. I'm currently on an exciting journey as an architecture student at EPFL/ETHZ. My focus is on how the built environment affects humans and the way we live. Exploring this constantly evolving field, with its endless interdisciplinary connections, motivates me to create better living spaces for everyone! During my research summer, I had the opportunity to carry out a research project in Professor Andersen's LIPID laboratory (EPFL). I worked on the development and use of high dynamic range images, exploring the complex world of light and its implications for human perception and visual comfort. For my Leadership-in-Action project, I partnered with Stanford University and the Chinatown Community Development Center to investigate the impact of sustainable renovations on the well-being of low-income tenants in San Francisco’s Chinatown. My focus the effects of thermal renovations on residents' health and financial security. This experience provided invaluable insights into how architectural interventions affect human well-being. My Laidlaw journey is an experience I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life! I met wonderful people along the way. It was through sharing with others that I truly learned. Feel free to reach out, I'd love to connect! All the best ;) Esteban Germann EPFL | Laidlaw Scholar | Class of 2023

Hi there! I'm Jane Emmins, a Senior Sophister in English Studies at Trinity College Dublin and alumna of the Laidlaw Scholarship. My Summer 1 research was concerned with representations of space, place, and utopianism in the literature of Fire Island 1940-2000. I was interested in exploring how contrasting authors handled ideas and constructions of 'gay paradise' as a means to interogate the nature of queer utopian desire(s) in America at this pivotal period in LGBTQ+ history.  My Summer 2 'Leadership-in-Action' saw me flying to Cape Town, South Africa to volunteer at SOS Children's Village in Thornton. I designed and delivered a six-week dance movement therapy based psychosocial intervention for orphaned, abandoned, and precariously housed children.  I am a lover of sacred music and a member of multiple choirs. My hobbies also include swimming in the sea and watching good television.  Feel free to reach out to me using my contact info. 

Surayyah Ahmad is a Founding Partner at Sabou Capital (formerly Aduna Capital), which provides a blend of revenue-based financing, equity funding, and technical support to SMEs in West and Central Africa. She is also a founding partner of TTLabs, an accelerator focused on empowering founders from underserved regions, particularly Northern Nigeria, and supporting women entrepreneurs. Surayyah is currently studying at the University of Oxford, where she focuses on finance and impact investing. Through this, she serves the co-chair of the Oxford Africa Business Alliance. As an experienced operator, Surayyah founded and successfully exited an e-commerce and fulfillment service company with operations in both Nigeria and the UK. She is passionate about uplifting women and driving economic development in underserved regions through private enterprise.

Mary May Furtado is an experienced startup strategy and business operations consultant. She scales businesses to thrive in changing economic climates. Mary has worked with startups from pre-incorporation through $80MM+ fundraise rounds and is passionate about working with companies at the cutting edge. She thrives in fast paced roles requiring creative, complex problem solving and believes that meaning, direction and joy stem from a life of accountability and intense responsibility. She is currently undertaking her MBA at the University of Oxford's Said Business School to expand her professional bounds into even higher level financial strategy. Mary is passionate about supporting women and parents in the workplace and has three sons of her own.

I’m the Scholar Engagement Advisor at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, where I oversee two of the School’s prestigious and impact-driven scholarships:  the Laidlaw Scholarship and the Oxford–Pershing Square Graduate Scholarship. In this role, I support scholars from the application stage through to their time on course, acting as a key liaison between them, the School, and the respective foundations. My work includes scholar communications, events and programming, reporting, and community-building. I bring over a decade of experience across finance, higher education, events and marketing. Before joining Oxford Saïd in 2022, I spent nearly five years at the University of Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences as a Senior Finance Officer. Earlier in my career, I worked at Oxford Professional Education Group as Student Finance Manager and In-House Graphic Designer. After finishing my studies, I began my career in London with Marriott International, where I worked in sales, events, and marketing.

Hi folks! I'm Program Coordinator with Duke University's Hart Leadership Program, which supports the Laidlaw Scholars Program as well as several other undergraduate experiential learning programs. In May 2024, I completed my doctorate in the Study of Religion at Harvard University with a focus in contemporary Islamic studies and American religions. My dissertation work examined the shape and impact of U.S. Muslim civic organizations and community organizing in the city of Detroit. I also hold a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School and a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies from Appalachian State University (go Mountaineers!). My studies have been driven by a deep interest in the intersections of religion and civic life in the contemporary U.S. To that end, I've served as research assistant for the Listening to Women about Abortion & Religion Project, a Religion, Spirituality, and Democratic Renewal Fellow with the Social Science Research Council, and an adjunct professor at Stonehill College. In my role with Hart Leadership Program, I'm excited to lean into my training as a researcher, educator, and program builder to provide strong student support and advance community-engaged scholarship and education. Whether you're a Duke student or a Laidlaw Scholar at another institution, I'm always happy to connect and share my knowledge and experience in social science research design and methods, religious studies and anthropology, applying to and navigating graduate school, or putting together strong research grant and fellowship proposals.

Ajibola's career journey has evolved from a management consultant role at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to becoming an infrastructure investment specialist at the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA). Her future aspirations are driven by her strong dedication to the development of infrastructure in Nigeria and throughout Africa. Ajibola has devoted her professional life to contributing to development and social impact projects in Nigeria, with an emphasis on the nation’s healthcare and infrastructure development. These experiences have equipped her with indispensable skills and expertise that fuel her commitment to advancing Nigeria's development. With a bachelor’s degree in economics, her long-term goal is to establish a Pan-African development finance institution focused on impact and infrastructure investments.