Georgetown University joined the Laidlaw Undergraduate Research and Leadership Scholarship Programme as a partner institution in Fall 2021. The Georgetown University Center for Research and Fellowships announced the university's first Laidlaw Scholars cohort in April 2022.

Hi! My name is Ariadna (Arina) Maksin and I'm a rising sophomore at Georgetown University. I currently research and study neurobiology, which stems from my interest in understanding and targeting the biological mechanisms underlying substance addiction (particularly opioid abuse). My Laidlaw project investigates the role of KCC2, a potassium-chloride cotransporter protein, in morphine addiction. I hope to ultimately integrate wet-lab addiction research with both biotherapeutic and public policy fields to create sustainable treatment and prevention strategies for addiction in the US.  Outside of research, I love creative writing (particularly poetry) and I'm hoping to double major in English. I also enjoy dancing – I'm on hiphop and bhangra teams at Georgetown – as well as playing piano, exploring new cuisines, and reading. Feel free to reach out here or at am4981@georgetown.edu!

My name is Ishaan Jordan, and I am a student at Georgetown University pursuing a major in Government alongside a minor in Tech, Ethics, and Society. Driven by a passion for public service, leadership, and systemic change, my academic and extracurricular focus centers on how policy and emerging technologies intersect to shape a more equitable world. Through the Laidlaw Scholars Program, my primary objective is to conduct research that examines the ethical implications of technology in governance, specifically how algorithmic decision-making impacts civic trust. Furthermore, I am eager to immerse myself in Laidlaw’s leadership development track, refining the skills necessary to lead with integrity, empathy, and clarity. Outside of my academic commitments, I love to stay active and explore the city. I'm a huge fan of the NBA, and I love watching and playing just about any sport. Fitness is a core part of my daily routine, and you can usually find me training at the gym or unwinding by going on long walks to take in nature and clear my head. In my free time, I enjoy trying new coffee shops and restaurants. 

Colleen manages the Laidlaw Scholars Leadership and Research Programme at Georgetown University. Through her work, Colleen aims to increase accessibility in fellowships advising for all Georgetown students with a special focus on reflective practices intended to help students identify and develop personal and career goals. Prior to joining Georgetown University, Colleen served as the Assistant Director for Early Career Initiatives with NASPA- Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, where she managed professional development programs for undergraduate student, graduate student, and new professional members. Colleen holds a master’s degree in Student Development in Higher Education from the University of Maine and bachelor’s degrees in Women and Gender Studies and Anthropology from the University of Delaware.

Hi! My name is Annabelle Kim and I'm a rising senior at Georgetown University. I am majoring in Public Policy and Economics. I'm from the San Francisco Bay Area–Pleasanton, CA to be specific. Throughout my studies and my career, I hope to contribute to improving educational equity in the U.S. K-12 system, with a special focus on marginalized students within high-performing districts.  I am currently completing my LiA project at the War and Women's Human Rights Museum in Seoul, Korea.  In summer 2024, I researched within-district disparities between continuation high schools and comprehensive high schools in California. Continuation schools (alternative high schools for students at risk of not graduating) have higher per-pupil funding than their traditional brick-and-mortar counterparts. Despite this, facilities and services provided to these students often fall far behind--I hope to clarify why that might be. My research builds on my experience researching school funding decisions nationwide with a faculty member of Georgetown's McCourt School of Public Policy.  A fun fact about me is that I've technically flown a plane before I got my driver's license...and that even now I'd far prefer flying a plane to driving on a California freeway. 

Hello everyone! My name is Dhruvi, and I am a rising junior studying Healthcare Management and Policy at Georgetown. My research for this summer focuses on understanding the biochemical effects of short-chain forever pollutants in living organisms to contribute to our understand their health effects in humans.  

Pragyan is a junior majoring in Culture and Politics at Georgetown University in Qatar. He works as an Economics Peer Tutor at the Office of Academic Services, and also as a Research Assistant at the Energy Humanities Program, where he is currently developing an energy-themed board game. For his Laidlaw project, he is exploring the history of labor in the electricification of the Philippines. This project intersects energy history and colonial studies, exploring how US Colonialism shaped electricity during and after the US control of the Islands. 

Hi!  My name is Nuthi Ganesh.  I am a junior studying Culture and Politics in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.  My research explores how children in refugee-like situations who resettle in the United States experience and negotiate their role as cultural intermediaries in schools.  I am curious about how this role shapes refugee children into advocates for human rights, especially for their right to education. 

I am a rising junior at Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service, studying International Economics with a minor in history. I am interested in South Asian history, nationalism, and the economic history of capitalism and development. 

Ilena is a rising junior at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business majoring in International Political Economy and Business, with a concentration in Sustainable Business and a minor in French. She is interested in how finance can be reimagined to better support sustainable and inclusive economic development. This summer, she is conducting research on Capital for Climate by developing a case study of its funding model to examine how innovative financing mechanisms can advance economic and social development while overcoming limitations of traditional development finance. Her work aims to inform practitioners and contribute to emerging conversations on designing next-generation funding architectures for sustainable development.

My name is Tuqa Alibadi and I am an undergraduate student at Georgetown University, majoring in Science, Technology, and International Affairs. As a Laidlaw Scholar, I am passionate about researching the effects of digital suppression on civil rights in America, with a specific focus on the pro-Palestine movement. My work aims to uncover how digital censorship impacts free speech and advocacy in today's digital landscape. On a pre-law track, I aspire to use my academic background and research findings to advocate for justice and develop equitable policy solutions in the realm of international human rights.

Hi, I'm Itiafa Ayeni, a rising sophomore from Nigeria at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service in Qatar. I major in International Politics with minors in Africana Studies and a certificate in Energy Studies. I am also pursuing the French proficiency academic pathway. My academic interests are deeply shaped by my experience growing up in Nigeria and center on Africa’s future, the place of identity, and the advancement of women and girls globally. This summer, I will be researching how “Y2K” Nollywood (the formative period of Nigeria’s film industry spanning the 1990s and early 2000s) influenced the women who contributed to and consumed it, across a representative social circle that includes actresses and women in the diaspora.

Hi! My name is Abdur, and I am a rising junior at Georgetown studying Government and Philosophy on a pre-law track. I enjoy and feel fulfilled doing work related to prison policy reform. For hobbies, I love cooking, hiking, biking, working on fashion, and playing poker. 

Hello! This is April Cheng from Taiwan, studying International Political Economy in Georgetown University. I am interested in international development and has internship experience in Taiwan, Bangladesh, and Kenya. 

My name is Delphine Armand and I am from Boston, Massachusetts, but am currently moving to Minnesota! I am a rising junior at Georgetown University studying Theology and Global Health on the pre-med track.  My project is on the role and impact of faith-based programming in jails. I was drawn to this topic by my work in the Alexandria Detention Center over the past couple of years.