I am a junior at Cornell University majoring in Global Development with a concentration in social and economic development. My interest lies in education, employment, and migration. Within this interest, I have delved into the correlation between education, the workforce, and migration & mobility (especially the concept “brain drain” and "brain gain"). I am passionate about improving global access to social and economic opportunities that young people have to leverage their human capital. With experience serving as Diversity Ambassador for the Cornell Undergraduate Office and Research Assistant for Professor Ivory’s “African Futures Project,” I strive to understand youth holistically from primary and secondary insight. I aspire to work in law for a youth development and/or an international organization.

Hi! I'm Sophia, an aspiring scientist and philomath. I love learning about everything and anything and delight in spending time with people who are passionate about the things they love! I am really interested and curious about how we can use chemistry to improve processes and products to help society. For example, my research project is looking into the possibility of turning struvite, a mineral which is a by-product of waste-water treatment processes into slow-release nitrogen and phosphorous fertilisers, which would be a green source nitrogen and phosphorous fertilisers and help achieve goals of zero-waste.  If you are researching something similar or are interested in learning more about the project, please reach out! I am super happy to talk about the project and meet other who are doing something similar and possibly collaborate! 

Hello! My name is Batool and I am a final year Arts and Sciences at UCL. I take classes on environmental sciences, political science and education. For my summer research project, I co-produced a policy brief with student recommendations for sustainable futures in higher education which is addressed to policy makers in universities in the UK.  For my Leadership-in-Action project, I am conducting a similar research project with WWF-Pakistan. I am organising participatory workshops with university students from Lahore and plan to use this research for my undergraduate dissertation. If you have any questions about these projects, or about conducting a research-based LiA please do not hesitate to message me! At UCL I was the President of the UCL Sign Language Society where I led a team of 9 other undergraduate students to organise sign language classes and events to raise awareness of deafness for a society which has over 200 student members. I am currently the Vice President of the Ahlulbayt Islamic Society committee, organising charity campaigns and faith-based awareness events on taking action for global issues. 

I am an undergraduate at Cornell pursuing a B.S. in International Agriculture & Rural Development (IARD). My long-term aspiration is to deliver improved agricultural and public health outcomes using agronomy principles, geospatial tools, and community-engaged approaches. My current focus is on circular bionutrient economy opportunities in the Lake Victoria basin (Kenya) to address simultaneous eutrophication in the lake and nutrient deficit in surrounding agriculture, primarily through novel sanitation and fertilizer production methods. My research with Prof. Rebecca Nelson at Cornell and with Prof. Charles Midega at Poverty & Health Integrated Solution (PHIS) and Maseno University in Kisumu, Kenya, strives to advance these opportunities. I was introduced to agriculture at a young age while working for a diversified livestock farm in my hometown, where I gained an appreciation for the scientific method and agricultural research. I am motivated by exhilarating collaboration, the excitement of being on the cutting edge of agricultural research and development, and agriculture’s vast impact on public and environmental health.

Hi, my name is Eliza Wadell. I graduated from Cornell with a degree in Environment & Sustainability and Economics in May 2025. As part of the Laidlaw Program, I spent my first summer conducting research on the impact of harmful algal blooms on consumer choices in Lake Victoria, Kenya under the mentorship of Dr. Kathryn Fiorella. My second summer, I traveled to Sydney, Australia to work for ESG Impact to improve sustainability in local businesses.

Lain is an undergraduate majoring in computer science and Cornell's College Scholar Program, where they study inclusive natural language processing. They intend to graduate in 2026. Lain grew up in New York City. They love performing, and have been onstage at Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden and Citi Field. They also love to learn from others and will happily engage in intellectual conversations (especially when someone else is excited). They hope to work in making AI more inclusive. Here is a little introductory video made for the Cornell Laidlaw Program.

Undergraduate student at Cornell University majoring in Environment and Sustainability with a concentration in policy and governance. Double minoring in Urban and Regional Studies, and Sustainable Business and Economics. 

Hi! My name is Olivia Cheung and I’m a senior at Cornell University. I’m majoring in Biological Sciences and minoring in Community Food Systems in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. I’m from Needham, MA. I’m passionate about science, sustainability, environmental justice, and health and would love to chat with others interested in these topics!

Vaibhav Pramode Nair is a 2023 Laidlaw Scholar at the University of Leeds. He is the Lead Youth Representative of the Save Soil Movement, and in this capacity works to amplify youth voices for food systems transformation at major policy fora globally. Currently pursuing a Bachelors in Sustainability and Environmental Management at Leeds' School of Earth and Environment, he was the first undergraduate Youth Delegate from Leeds to the UN Climate Talks, representing at COP29 Baku, COP28 UAE and SB60 Bonn. Vaibhav leads efforts in diplomacy and climate at the Indian Youth Diplomacy Forum. He’s a LEED Green Associate, IEMA member, and an active participant in YOUNGO's Food and Agriculture Working Group, advocating for a shift in focus within the international climate policy discourse to the soil degradation crisis. Save Soil. Visit https://consciousplanet.org/ to learn more. Let's make it happen ! Try https://isha.sadhguru.org/us/en/inner-engineering . Changed my life. In is the only way Out.  If you study/work within the sustainability/climate space, please reach out. If not, definitely reach out. :)

Hello!! My name is Jiayi (she/her), and I major in Design and Environmental Analysis at the College of Human Ecology at Cornell University. I also pursue a minor named Healthy Futures, which examines how to use design to integrate health and hospitality into our daily experiences. I am fascinated by the interdisciplinary nature of design research, and I hope to apply the frameworks and tools of design and system thinking to environmental education in the future. For me, design has the powers of creativity, communication, and action, which can fuel social innovation greatly. Currently, I am researching young children's understandings and feelings about climate change, focusing on children in the US (where I study) and China (where I'm from). I really want to learn more about how to conduct effective environmental education that leads to pro-environmental actions. My passion for environmental actions and social change also brought me to engage in LiA: Mexico City with NGO Make_Sense. I love meeting people and learning new things - I would love to connect with you!

Hello! I am Yuka Atsuchi. I am from Japan and studying Natural Sciences (Biosciences, Geography and Earth Sciences) at Durham University. My strong passion is to create a more sustainable environment for both humans and wildlife. I am specialising in environmental issues and climate change through interdisciplinary approaches in Natural Sciences with strong research and field skills from work experience.  My main focus in research and future aspiration is "empirical and effective implementation of rewilding conservation projects to various landscapes". For my first-year summer project, I am going to evaluate and create a plan for Durham University Wildland to initiate reintroduction projects. Then I would like to spread the knowledge and conservation practices to other countries such as Japan. About myself... I was bone in Japan and I lived in Yokohama until High School in Japan. After winning a scholarship from the Japanese Foundation, I started studying in the UK in sixth-form.  I am a big fun of wildlife and adventure to wider nature! I enjoy trail running, bird watching, gardening & Allotment, hiking and horse riding.  I would like to expand my network and share thoughts with you! LinkedIn Yuka Atsuchi

I am a fourth-year student studying Middle Eastern and European Languages and Cultures with Hebrew at Trinity College Dublin. I spent my third year studying abroad at the Universidad de Granada and Charles University Prague. I am very interested in Holocaust Studies and my summer research project concerned the study of the influence of Holocaust fiction on public memory. I am currently pursuing this research further as part of my undergraduate dissertation. In the summer of 2024, I joined SOS Children's Villages Switzerland and Nepal for the central LiA "Making Impact Visible" and got an insight into SOS's important work while fostering my videography and photography skills. If you are from the 2024 cohort and have any questions in this regard, send me a message!  In my free time, I fence Épée.

Hello! I am a Biological Sciences graduate from Durham University, having completed my Laidlaw Research and Leadership scholarship in 2022. I am currently studying for an MRes in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Research at Imperial College London, Silwood Park. My original Laidlaw project was slightly adapted, with it focusing on how African mammals and coral-reef fishes act as wildlife-based tourism (WBT) attractants.  In my free time, I enjoy bouldering, hiking, and anything nature-related!  I am more than happy to discuss my research topic or other environment-related topics on here or via email :)

Hi, I’m Anna Rose Marion, and I am interested in climate change from a cultural and policy standpoint. I am double majoring in Environment & Sustainability and Anthropology at Cornell University. I plan to pursue graduate work and a career focused on climate solutions. I am from a small, coastal community in New Hampshire. I like to spend my spare time dancing and enjoying the outdoors.  My Laidlaw research is focused on exploring a potential new solution to promote climate mitigation and resilience in Southeast Asia. I will be working on a project to investigate the sociopolitical and technological potential and obstacles of using algae for biofuel and carbon emissions sequestration in the Philippines. I am specifically interested in exploring the sociocultural ramifications of algal mitigation and adaptation strategies. I plan to pose the question: how could algae technologies impact traditional human-environmental relationships in The Philippines? I’m interested in whether these impacts are influenced by the presence and quality of community engagements and partnerships, and who benefits most from these technologies. Evaluating new climate mitigation proposals is crucial to determine whether they are well-suited for various global contexts and whether they will positively affect those most vulnerable.  I’d love to chat with others who are interested in the intersection of climate and culture! Watch this video for a brief introduction of myself!

Kristin began the Laidlaw Leadership and Research Scholars program at Cornell University and was responsible for undergraduate engagement in the Einaudi Center for International Studies. She now provides remote support for Global Cornell. A Cornell alumna, Kristin majored in international agriculture and rural development then worked in agriculture and community development with an NGO in Kenya for six years. Her graduate work focused on community leadership development. Kristin enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with her family (and 3 dogs).

Hello! I am a multidisciplinary designer and have been with the Laidlaw Foundation for over five years, working to strengthen our global Scholar community and amplify the impact of our programmes. My work lives somewhere between design, education, and anthropology, usually with sticky notes involved. I studied Human Sciences as an undergrad and am currently doing a Master’s in Anthropology at UCL. Degrees I struggle to explain at parties. Born and raised in Kazakhstan 🇰🇿 Outside of work? Probably in the ceramics studio, wandering aimlessly with a podcast in my ears, attempting a handstand, or watching far too much TV. Big fan of nature and very small bugs.