I am a fourth year student studying Geography and Sustainable Development at The University of St Andrews. I have a particular interest in reforestation, conservation and climate change mitigation. For the first summer of the Laidlaw Scholars Leadership and Research Programme I produced a research essay and poster titled 'Climate Change Mitigation: Investigating the impact of land use on soil organic matter (SOM)'. My research focuses on measuring and reporting soil organic matter content across different land use types such as cropland and woodland. I explore the climate change mitigation potential of soil and the potential of adding soil organic matter through woodland restoration. For the second summer of the Laidlaw Scholars Leadership and Research Programme I produced a Leadership-in-Action Video about my project on sustainable agricultural practices in Williamsburg, Virginia. My LiA project involved interviewing farmers in and around Williamsburg, academic researchers at the local university, The College of William and Mary and the manager of the Williamsburg Farmers Market. I also produced a reflective essay about my experience over the Laidlaw Scholarship titled 'Learning, Growing and Developing as a Leader'.

I study Physics and Chemistry, and undertook research in synthetic and analytical inorganic chemistry. The aim of my project was to optimise the carbon dioxide adsorption behaviour (by optimising pore structure changes, gating effects and pore sizes) of merlinoite (zeolite) molecular sieves, for use in carbon capture in industry. This included development of reliable synthetic routes for merlinoites and developing an analytical model for their kinetic adsorption behaviour. The work will hopefully lead to further work, producing practical results which can be implemented to make gas purification in industrial processes, natural gas upgrading and waste processing more environmentally friendly. My Leadership in Action programme involved working with Grupo PROMESA on the circular economy by working on their "Recilcando x un Techo" recycling scheme in Mexico City, partnered with Make Sense Americas. My future research interests lie at the interface between physics and chemistry, particularly in solid state chemistry and in developing and using novel analytical techniques. I am interested in materials engineering, particularly within the energy sector, for example in carbon capture, nuclear fusion energy, and renewables. I also have a recent interest in patent law. Outside of studying and research, I have keen interests in writing fiction, amateur rocketry/aeronautics, cookery and philosophy. I play tennis, football and chess.

I study International Relations and Russian at the University of St Andrews', and have a specific interest in the history, cultures and politics of the everyday. I am particularly interested in identity and security in the post-Soviet space, especially Central Asia. I'm looking to take these interests into practice and policy. This summer, I've been researching the interplay between regional foreign policy and how interacts with the development of state identities, by conducting research and then fieldwork in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.  I'm also an adventure cycling obsessive and love being outdoors (even in the Scottish weather). 

I am currently studying Sustainable Development and International Relations at the University of St. Andrews where I also sit on the Environmental Sustainability Board that advises the University on its Net Zero by 2035 strategy. I have experience with green entrepreneurship having co-founded the zero-waste company Concept Zero and been part of the sustainability consultancy OnePointFive as an intern and Sustainability Associate. I am passionate about regenerative farming and design, urban planning and nature-based solutions. I worked as a Growth and Community Engagement intern at Second Time Founders where I gained experience with outreach and community building through storytelling. I am always keen to explore the ways in which systems thinking, community participation, conscious leadership and emotional intelligence can accelerate the transition towards healthy, just, biodiverse and carbon-negative societies.

Hello everyone! I'm Sarah (she/her) and I am a fourth-year undergraduate student in Philosophy at the University of St Andrews. I am particularly interested in the applications of philosophy to social and political issues, and how we can use philosophical arguments to inform policy decisions. As such, my research project concerned the appropriateness of belief and doubt in cases of sexual assault and the implications for university and legal policy. For my Leadership-in-Action, I conducted an evaluation of a sexual violence prevention education programme run by an NGO in Auckland, New Zealand

I'm a Joint Honours German and Psychology student at the University of St Andrews. My research will include a comparative analysis of how WW2 is taught and assessed in schools in the UK and Germany.

I was fortunate enough to conduct academic research under the supervision of Stephen Gethins,  Professor of Practice in International Relations at the University of St Andrews and now a sitting MP. Stephen introduced me to a truly fascinating yet often overlooked area of International Relations: sub-state and regional actors and their place in global politics, with a focus on Scotland in particular. Through this, I have developed an interest in Scotland's place in the world as a nation without an independent foreign office, but as a nation with extensive international influence and a powerful global diaspora. This topic formed the basis of my Laidlaw project, my undergraduate and postgraduate dissertation, and my PhD. I take a keen interested in other academic fields such as politics, history, and philosophy. Although an International Relations and Sociology student first and foremost, I had the opportunity of studying Ancient History and Classics alongside my degree for two years. If I were to ever win the lottery, you would find me endlessly cycling University, spending my remaining days studying Ancient History and Philosophy, Politics, Anthropology, Theology, Theoretical Physics and Maths, or whatever subject I develop an interest in down the line. Since leaving the University of St Andrews and the Laidlaw Programme, I completed an MRes degree at the University of Glasgow in Sociology and Research Methods. I received a scholarship for a PhD in Sociology at the University of Glasgow which I am completing part-time in addition to my role as Research Officer at Carers Trust Scotland - a charity supporting unpaid carers which I had previously volunteered for. My PhD is a continuation of my Scottish diaspora studies, seeking to reconcile the notion of 'civic Scottishness' with the Scottish identity of the lived diaspora.