I am interested in the 1960s-70s prisoners' rights movement. In the past, I spent significant time researching the Attica Prison Uprising, the deadliest prison rebellion in the United States. Prison writing was a defining mobilizing force for the incarcerated people at Attica, and I am eager to delve into prison autobiographies in particular this summer as a progressive art form that has challenged literary expectations and engendered a collective voice of incarceration. Outside of research, I am heavily involved in advocacy and volunteering related to criminal justice.

Hello there! I'm a history major at Columbia University. I spent 14 years as a border-crossing student, living in mainland China and commuting to Hong Kong every day. I  spent my high school years in Houston, Texas. My primary focus is transnational Asian history, though I am also broadly interested in philosophy, IR, and political theory.  I spent my freshman year at Rice and transferred to Columbia as a sophomore. I'm currently a rising junior.  I speak English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. I am currently unsuccessfully acquiring Japanese and French.

Hi, my name is Sarah McGuire! I am currently studying History and English at Trinity College Dublin and am a member of the 2026 Trinity Laidlaw Scholars cohort.  I am interested in the ways in which literature can be used to construct and convey identity, and in finding ways to interrogate limiting beliefs that influence how we engage with national and cultural identity, gender, and class. With my own background from the North East of Ireland, I believe that it is essential to question the roots of our identities, and more important than ever to push back against exclusionary and arbitrary definitions of who ‘gets’ to identity as Irish.   My Summer 1 research project is entitled ‘This is Your Magazine: Literary Periodicals and Identity in Mid-twentieth century Ireland’, and will focus on short stories published in The Bell Magazine (1940-1954) and what they can tell us about the complexity of Irish identity in this period. This study aims to explore the ways in which people engaged with the literary periodical and short story form as a crucial means of self expression in a period of censorship, and how they wrote back against the dominant ideology which created narrow parameters surrounding the normative portrayal of Irish identity post-partition.    Beyond my research, I love to write short fiction of my own, contribute to college publications as a writer and editor, and read widely on literary, art, and music history.  I would love to connect with fellow scholars, feel free to reach out to discuss research or similar interests!

Hi! My name is Izzy and I am a rising sophomore at Columbia University studying Neuroscience and Behavior on a pre-medical track, aspiring to become an emergency room physician or trauma surgeon in the future. Within the last year, I earned my EMT certification and have been involved in various clubs and volunteer activities on and off campus, but am definitely looking for more ways to help the community! I am very excited to be a part of the Laidlaw program and spend the summer in New York. Out of school, I love playing soccer, listening to music, and trying new foods/drinks around the city :) Please reach out if you have any interest/advice for my research this summer or if you just want to make a new friend!

Hi! I'm Bruna, a first-year English Literature undergraduate at Durham University, currently working on my research project. My passion for stories is reflected in my research which focuses on examining storytelling's role in policymaking in creative fields in County Durham.  I am from Brazil but have lived in the Netherlands and Kuwait and therefore have come to love learning all about languages and cultures. Moving around also means I am always open to learning more and adapting to new situations.  In my free time, I am usually cosplaying an old grandma: I crochet, embroider, bake and read. At times, I may also be playing the sims. Please feel free to reach out!  qmcj48@durham.ac.uk 

Born and raised in San Diego, California, Adelina is a pre-law student majoring in Sociology with interests in education policy, immigration law and the intersections of race and political representation. As a Chicana scholar committed to utilizing well-informed research as a pathway to meaningful action, she believes in uplifting overlooked histories as pathways to empowerment. Her Laidlaw research investigates how the forced displacement of Mexican American families from Chávez Ravine to construct Dodger Stadium shapes the relationship between the L.A. Dodgers and Latino communities. Outside of being a Laidlaw Scholar, Adelina remains committed to public service by continuing to advocate for youth-centered policy initiatives as Governor Gavin Newsom's appointee to the California Youth Empowerment Commission. She has also worked with New York City's Project Rousseau as an Immigration Legal Services Intern and conducted research with the Columbia University Policy Institute, further developing her interests in civic engagement, educational equity and policy reform. As a Barnard pre-law student, Adelina is committed to pursuing a legal career dedicated to advancing representation and justice for historically marginalized communities.

Hi, I’m Isabella! I am a rising third year student at Georgetown University studying American Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies with a research focus on sexual violence, Christian nationalism, and gender policy. I am an educator and advocate for sexual violence prevention at both a cultural and legislative level.  This summer, I will be working with Dr. Nadia Brown and a fellow scholar to understand the occurrence and effects of violence against local-level women politicians. I am particularly interested in the influence of digital abuse involving AI and the effect that sexual harassment has on women’s political participation.  Please feel free to reach out! Email: ibw9@georgetown.edu

Hello everyone! I am a first year Natural Sciences student at the University of Leeds, and I am interested in pursuing a career in research. I'm currently studying Physics, Chemistry and Maths and am fascinated by the practical applications of sciences and how they can help others.  My Laidlaw research project is focused on the defluoridation of groundwater via an ion exchange process. I hope to be able to take my research and implement it in Tanzania to provide a sustainable water source for people in Arusha.  

Hi! My name is Daohui and I am a first-year Mathematics and Physics student at Durham University (2026). I look forward to being part of the 2026 cohort with my project about prevention and mitigation strategies of future global outbreaks by simulating and analysing the effects of COVID-19! I am particularly interested in applied mathematics and I believe that as the world becomes more and more interconnected, simulatory data will become increasingly important and impactful on global health. After the recent pandemic, there is undoubtedly still work to do in field of epidemiology, which is what I hope to contribute to.

Hello! My name is Lily and I am a 2nd year Psychology student at Trinity College Dublin, and a member of the Laidlaw Leadership and Research Scholars 2026 Cohort.  I'm interested in all things early adversity; who experiences it, what it looks like, how it affects people and what can be done to help those who have lived through it. More specifically, my research project in Summer 1 will focus on Environmental Sensitivity theory in a cohort of Syrian refugee children in Jordan. My goal with this research is to identify whether interventions may uplift children who have experienced adversity, and actually help them to thrive above and beyond their peers! I am especially interested in connecting with anyone involved in research into early adversity, Environmental Sensitivity theory or any related topics. I would also love to explore volunteering opportunities in this space! 

I am currently the Associate Director and Senior Lecturer of the Common Core, the interdisciplinary curriculum at the University of Hong Kong. As a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, I am passionate about creative leadership and administration of higher education that expands both students' and teachers' capacities. My research is focused on Education Futures in the university and pre-tertiary context, exploring transdisciplinary learning, innovative curriculum and pedagogies, international and comparative education, and artificial intelligence in education. Prior to academia, I worked in business banking, corporate learning and development, and leadership and performance consulting. I also co-founded and led a luxury goods distribution start-up, scaling it into a HK$300 million turnover business upon exit.

Hi! My name is Mai Malesky, and I am a rising second-year student from Durham, NC, planning to double-major in Political Science and Economics. I am passionate about the interdisciplinary field of Behavioral Sciences, especially its capacity to explore why voters become apathetic, how authoritarian regimes emerge, and how disenfranchised citizens can resist political exploitation. My commitment to public service and civic engagement is inspired by my experience working with grassroots organizations in my local community. These experiences allowed me to see firsthand the power of grassroots action to create change. I am excited to be a part of the Laidlaw Scholars Program and to join fellow students devoted to ethical leadership and service, working to make a difference on a local, national, and global scale.

Hello! My name is Lilly Heffernan and I'm a 2026 Laidlaw Scholar from Trinity College Dublin. I'm interested in the way in which human effects on animal behaviour influence their disease spread. 75% of emerging diseases are coming from animals, and I believe that we can manage this in an effective and humane way.  I'm exploring this topic by investigating how artificial light changes how bats use space, and stresses their immune systems. I suspect that artificial light negatively impacts bat immunity, making them more likely to spread disease. This may be a reason we are seeing more human pathogens which originate from bats, such as SARS-CoV-2, and Ebola virus.  I strongly believe that we can curb the spread of these diseases by understanding how our behaviour is affecting our ecosystem. We cannot have healthy humans without healthy animals. This approach targets new pathogens before they spread to humans. If we focus on this angle, we can prevent the inefficient and cruel practice of culling sick animals for our own benefit.