Hi, I’m Caitlin. I am a History & Politics student at the University of Cambridge; in particular, I love American History, local politics and modern politics of both the UK & US. I am from Liverpool and play cricket at university. This year, I am also helping run Feminist Society and History Society at my college. 

Hello! I'm Melissa (she/her), a second-year undergraduate student at Durham University studying BSc Natural Sciences. I am passionate about multi-disciplinary learning, and my range of degree modules across the departments of Biology, Geography, Anthropology and Psychology allow me to explore my interests across both the sciences and social sciences. I love all things human, and am especially interested in the fields of human biology, equitable healthcare, and public health.  Last summer, I thoroughly enjoyed commencing my journey as a Laidlaw Scholar with my research project focussing on the development of vision in human fetuses, including focussing on how maternal mental health impacts upon this.  In my free time, I love to spend time with friends and family, bake, go for walks, and play with my cocker spaniel! I am also passionate about volunteering, various sports, reading, and music! Feel free to get in touch! 

Hello! My name is Annie, and I am a second year undergraduate student at the University of Cambridge, studying Geography.    My research project is titled ‘Scroll, Share, Speak: Examining Generational Engagement with Feminist Content on Social Media’. My project investigated the engagement patterns of self-identified women in the UK with feminist-related content on social media. The investigation examined how often different generations engage with digital feminist content, and the type of content and platforms they find most appealing. I explored how social media has influenced the way feminism is expressed and perceived, particularly in terms of its effectiveness in driving real-world change and shaping more inclusive forms of engagement.   In my spare time, I love to spend time with my friends and family, go on walks, and play netball.    If you’re interested in learning more about my research, or simply starting a conversation, I’d love to connect. 

Hey! I’m Samuel Kamalendran, a second-year undergraduate student at the University of Toronto (Mississauga), where I major in Political Science and minor in English and Classics. My research project is titled “In the Valley of the Shadow of Death: Evaluating the Protection Afforded to Vulnerable Canadians by Bill C-7” and will explore whether Canada’s assisted-dying legal framework sufficiently protects the disabled, mentally ill, and those in poverty. I was first introduced to this topic through a term research paper in a Canadian Political Science course, and quickly became very engaged in the subject. What truly stood out to me about this subject was the intellectual conflict underpinning the debate about the Bill’s provisions. I was fascinated by the justifications both sides offered—all of which contained some measure of truth—and the simultaneous inability of scholars to come to a clear consensus. I was also very drawn to the real-life stories of individuals who interacted with MAiD—every one of which spoke directly to the implications of any law that intersected law, medicine, and the ethics of self-autonomy. Furthermore, as an aspiring legal professional, I am especially interested in diving into the legal and parliamentary cases that drove the development of assisted-dying forward, and performing a comparative analysis of international jurisdictions to decipher key lessons which can answer questions about the effectiveness of MAiD frameworks. In my free time, I enjoy working out, creating music on the piano and drums, and exploring local rivers, lakes, and trails with my brothers. I’m also active in journalism at my university, interested in AI and business, and passionate about serving my peers through my work with my school’s International Centre and my upcoming roles on various committees and boards. I’m sincerely looking forward to learning more about you all and your research projects! I would love to connect with y’all via LinkedIn, email (at samuel.kamalendran@mail.utoronto.ca), and/or through the Scholars network. I hope everyone has a fun, relaxing, and productive summer! :)

Hello! I'm Maia, an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto, Victoria College. I'm majoring in Sociology with minors in Political Science and Women and Gender Studies.  My research brings together women-identified social media users into focus groups to investigate how young women understand social media's value, their consumption of it, and its impacts on them. Despite extensive literature on the negative impacts of social media, few studies have explored how women make sense of their scrolling, especially in their own words. In light of this, my research focuses on not only exploring how women experience their online time but also developing collaborative strategies for more positive engagement; it moves beyond documenting harm to support women in shaping more conscious digital practices. Outside of research and academia, as of late I love to spend my free time crocheting, reading and writing, learning ASL, and developing my martial arts skills. If you'd like to know more about my research, collaborate, or just say hi, I'd love to connect—you can reach me at maia.cassie@mail.utoronto.ca!

Hi! My name is Ronaish and I'm an international student at UofT from the UAE. I'm hoping to specialize in Neuroscience with a minor in Philosophy - alongisde, I also harbor a great interest in public health! As part of the Laidlaw Leadership and Research Programme, I am conducting a scoping review and expert consultation on the current state and future directions for palliative care in Pakistan. This is an incredibly interdisciplinary topic as it concerns and draws insights from epidemiology, sociology and public health - I'm excited to take it on this summer and hope to share my progress on this network! Besides research, my hobbies include parliamentary debate, trying new cuisines, occasionally binging shows and traveling! Feel free to reach out at ronaish.arshad@mail.utoronto.ca for a chat or if you have any questions about my research!

Hello! My name is Rie (she/her) and I'm a third year at the University of Toronto. I'm majoring in International Relations and Contemporary Asian Studies with a minor in Political Science. My research project for Summer 1 covers contemporary youth protest culture in Japan, investigating why Japanese youths are disengaged and apathetic towards politics. Feel free to message me if you're interested in chatting about research! Outside of academics my hobbies are art, dancing (I did ballet for 10 years), visiting cafes with friends and binging TV shows :) 

Hey! It's so nice to connect with you. I'm a Business Management with Marketing Student at the University of Leeds and in the 2025/2026 Laidlaw Scholar Network. My research project is 'Exploring Student Perceptions and Experiences of Experiential Learning at the University of Leeds', and I'm so excited to be a part of this programme! I'm extremely passionate about leadership, creative problem-solving and driving impact through everything I do. Alongside my studies, I'm a highly productive individual who balances multiple part-time jobs such as being a Marketing Executive, Podcast Director for Women in Leadership Society and a Social Sciences Student Ambassador. I also love creating content around personal growth, student life and career development and utilise my platform (on TikTok and Youtube) to connect, inspire and share value. As an extrovert, I love spreading positivity both in person and online and look forward to getting to know you!

Hello! I am a second year at the University of St Andrews, studying Mathematics and Computer Science. My research focus is on applying Bayesian networks to electroencephalography (EEG) data.

The power of engineering to change the world using simple lines of code and circuit diagrams captivates me. Having invented India’s most economical 3D Printer, I’ve experienced firsthand its profound impact. Namaste! I’m Vedant, born in Singapore and raised in the bustling city of Mumbai. My journey started in 2020, when I needed a 3D printer for the rapid prototyping of projects but couldn’t afford one. Using recycled computer parts, a classmate and I managed to build one for under $100. Continuing my pursuit of frugal innovation, I developed an automatic hand sanitizer dispenser during the pandemic which I provided to local clinics and stores, despite supply chain shortages. In a quest to spread the innovation culture, I began delivering technical guest lectures on ‘Innovating with Arduino’ at engineering colleges and high schools across India. I introduced them to my ‘5-step prototyping mantra’, and used conversational psychology techniques to connect with students from diverse social backgrounds. From initially facing apprehension, to leaving the classrooms with thundering applause, the experience has been a rollercoaster. Forward to 2024, these lectures have become an awaited event at these colleges! My work has been featured in 30+ newspapers, journals, and media including platforms like TEDx and Josh Talks with a combined global reach of 50M+. Apart from engineering and tech, I’m an avid cyclist. My weekends usually consist of 100–150 km of backcountry rides. In Mumbai, I’ve worked with the police and the Smart Commute Foundation to advocate for bike lanes, install parking stands, and conduct cyclothons which saw over 5000 participants. I’m thrilled to join the 2025 cohort of Laidlaw Scholars — and I can’t wait to connect, learn, and build alongside all of you! Warm Regards, Vedant :) Instagram | LinkedIn

I am Sampada Wagle, a mathematics major from Tufts University, all the way from Nepal. My interests span in topology and quantum information science. However, as I have lived throughout these years, I feel a strong sense of civic responsibility of mine, no matter what I choose to study, to understand the political landscape of my country and the whole world in general. I believe that to not care about politics is a privilege--a privilege only few enjoy, thus, I envision to use my knowledge in Math to aid different ways of how youth view politics and quantize qualitative data to best represent political leanings, ideologies and other metrics.  Coming from Kathmandu, a place where political unrest and daily turmoil and riots emerged with a little to no streamlined understanding and advocacy from youth, I want to use the platform I have to freely examine and communicate policies and history from a mathematical standpoint--something I deeply adore! Outside of academic life, I enjoy reading Camus, wandering through scenic routes with a cup of coffee, and writing existential literature that reflects my ongoing attempts to understand solitude, identity, meaning and human existence. If you'd like to explore this side of me, feel free to visit my blog: Oblivion!  I love and adore many little things that wouldn't be possible to list here, but I deeply value connections and conversations where I can know about different stories, experiences and lives of people, expanding what humanity means to me, and learning something new about the world and myself every day!