Thomas Williams (He/Him)

Third Year Medical Student, Hull York Medical School
Melissa Rose

Development Partner - Laidlaw Scholars, University of York

I am a Chartered Occupational Psychologist and the lead for the Laidlaw Scholars Leadership and Research Programme at The University of York.  Prior to joining the University of York, my career was in policing focusing on selection and assessment, leadership development, organisation change and culture, and diversity, equality and inclusion.  I completed my BSc Psychology course at The University of Manchester and went straight on to complete my MSc Occupational Psychology course at Northumbria University. I then completed the Qualification in Occupational Psychology (QOccPsych) with the British Psychological Society (BPS) to become a chartered Occupational Psychologist. 
Sophia Rier

Student, University of York

US expat that came for school and stayed for the Mini Eggs. Researching inertial confinement fusion and studying fusion energy development. He/him and she/her, he/him preferred.
Thomas Mason

Engineering Student, University of York

Hello! 👋  My name is Thomas and I am a student at the University of York studying electronic engineering with business management. My Laidlaw research project will be exploring how intelligence augmentation is the future for organisational decision making! Just some of my passions include science and technology studies, business systems, innovation and wanting to see a positive change in the world :)  Feel free to reach out to me for a friendly chat ☕ 
Emily Bowen

Student, University of York

I'm a third year History student at the University of York, with an interest in archives and public history. Improving the accessibility of history is of great importance to me, both in terms of access to resources and the historical narrative. I've had experience in archives ranging from the Cambridge Arts Theatre, dating from 1934, to St Peter's School, York, which dates back to 627 AD. Whilst at the Arts Theatre I also received accredited training from the Oral History Society, which I have since been able to apply to other oral history community projects.
Susanna Kempe

CEO, Laidlaw Foundation

A graduate of Cambridge University, Susanna’s professional experience includes over 15 years in senior leadership roles in international B2B and learning businesses. Susanna began her career at the Institute for International Research (IIR) where she first worked with Lord Laidlaw, rising to Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). When IIR, which was the world’s largest organiser of commercial conferences, was acquired by Informa plc in 2005 Susanna was appointed CMO of the enlarged group and also led the public company’s investor relations programmes. She subsequently joined Emap Ltd as Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer and CEO of Emap Networks, that group’s conferences business. Later she became CEO of the fashion industry forecaster WGSN and was latterly Group Content and Marketing Partner of the leading strategy consultancy Brunswick Group. A German-American raised and educated in the UK and a committed internationalist, Susanna has been involved in globally trading businesses throughout her career, directing activity in the Americas, across continental Europe, and the Asia Pacific. Susanna has been extensively involved with education and professional development over many years. She was Head of Group Training and led the commercial acquisition and integration of a portfolio of corporate training businesses whilst at IIR; and created learning academies at both Informa and Emap. She believes experiencing and appreciating different cultures promotes better global understanding, creativity and leadership. She is passionate about the power of education to transform lives; and believes that we need to develop a new generation of diverse leaders who are curious, bold and devoted to decency, truthfulness, and innovation. Susanna is committed to diversity not only as a societal imperative but as a critical component of commercial success. As an advisor to the trustees of the Foundation, Susanna first learnt about its purpose and programmes before becoming its Chief Executive responsible for the Laidlaw Schools Trust, the Laidlaw Scholars and its other education programmes. Susanna read English and Philosophy at Newnham College, University of Cambridge. She has five half blues in swimming and water polo; and played netball and rowed for Newnham.
Cath Brislane

Subject Lead/ Undergraduate Scholar, University of York

I am a final-year undergraduate scholar pursuing a BA (Hons) in English Literature and Linguistics at the University of York. Besides being a scholar, I am the Arts and Humanities Subject Lead on the Scholar's Network and the 2020-22 Arts and Humanities faculty rep at the University of York! My first summer of research was based in phonetics, entitled 'The untapped potential of human language: Investigating the perception of typologically unattested and rare sounds'. In it, I get to look at phonemes that are not commonly found in speech, if at all! My Leadership in Action project was based around the experiences of students with disabilities and long-term health conditions when accessing Higher Education in the UK. I'm currently creating teacher training based on the paper I wrote for this project, and working with UCAS to help inform UK university admissions policy. 
Becky Caulfield

MSc Psychology Student, University of York

An aspiring Clinical Psychologist, currently an undergraduate studying Psychology (Integrated MSci) at the University of York. I see a future in which mental healthcare is adaptive to an individual's cultural and personal needs. I am also interested in alternative/ complimentary therapies for treatment resistant mood disorders such as deep brain stimulation and psilocybin therapy. My current research involves working with a Prosopagnosic (face blind) individual to better understand how we both learn and recognise faces.  For my Leadership in Action programme, I am working with "MakeSense", an organisation based in Mexico City. I am developing a social empowerment project supporting rural communities in Mexico.  
Sohail Hussain

Medical Student, University of York

Ben Clarke

Student, University of York

Hello, I'm Ben, and I study Politics with International Relations. I am a 2022 undergraduate scholar focused on European security issues and Western political development. I have expertise in Marxist political philosophy, and my research is written about how the struggle for recognition leads to class conflicts within liberal democracies. I am an avid public speaker, being a finalist at the European Youth Parliament in 2020, and have competed in various other speaking competitions. I'm open to working in both the research and marketing sectors; feel free to message me with any questions!
Emily Shepherdson (she/they)

Student , University of York

Hi! I'm originally from Hull, East Yorkshire but I'm currently a second year undergraduate student studying for a BA in Linguistics and ab initio Italian at the University of York. Alongside my studies, I am also the current blog coordinator for the University Feminist Society. Being a Laidlaw Scholar allows me to research the success of speech and language therapies in my project entitled 'Hidden behind a smile: acquisition and societal perception of speech sounds in children with cleft lip and palate.'!  My pronouns are she/they, please feel free to use either! 
Kayla Kim

Community Analyst, United Nations Development Programme

Hello! I was Laidlaw scholar in 2019, and I studied national, regional, and local identity in northern Tajikistan through the lens of women's fashion.  For a year after graduating, I worked for the UN Mine Action Service which removes landmines from conflict and post-conflict regions. I then worked for the Laidlaw Foundation 2021-22 and completed a Master's Degree in Anthropology and Development Management at the London School of Economics. Now I'm working with the UN on innovative finance for biodiversity conservation, focusing on marine ecosystems. Please feel free to reach out on the network, on LinkedIn, or by email. I'm always happy to meet new people and chat.