Valeria Gkoura

Hi, my name is Alex Kurian. I am a Mathematics and Economics major at NYU Abu Dhabi.

Hi everyone! I am a rising sophomore, Mech. E student with a strong interest in Aerospace engineering. My current research involves the characterization of the Emirates Lunar Simulant, which means analysing the chemical, thermal, and mechanical properties of our lab-made ELS. The ultimate goal is to make sure the simulant produced by our space lab matches the real lunar regolith brought back during the Apollo and Luna missions. Our research would later also extend to learning how to extract oxygen from the simulant, which will be a huge breakthrough in establishing Lunar bases. From there, partners like the UAE Space Agency use it to test rover performance, train astronauts, and validate lunar equipment, since all this helps optimize missions and reduce the risks that come with lunar exploration. Outside the lab, you'll catch me curating playlists, playing ATC on VATSIM with friends, or wandering somewhere I haven't been before.

Hello! I’m a psychology researcher and the founder of HaHaHelps, a nonprofit organisation developing and delivering a comedy-based psychosocial programme designed to support young people in residential care. I am currently completing an MSocSci in Psychology at the University of Cape Town, where my dissertation examines the feasibility of HaHaHelps programme with adolescents in South African child and youth care centres. My broader interests include youth mental health, psychosocial intervention development, implementation, participatory approaches, and the use of humour and play to support connection, emotional expression, self-efficacy, and coping with uncertainty. HaHaHelps grew out of my Laidlaw Leadership-in-Action project at SOS Children’s Villages in Cape Town, where I designed and facilitated an improv-comedy programme for adolescents. Since then, I have continued developing and delivering the programme with young people in residential care and am now studying how it can be refined, evaluated, and ultimately adapted for use in other communities and settings. Before this, my Laidlaw research at the University of Toronto examined relationships between childhood adversity, aggression, and self-regulation. I’d love to connect with other Laidlaw Scholars and alumni interested in youth mental health, social impact, intervention development, social entrepreneurship, or simply finding creative ways to turn research into something useful in the world.

I’m a Computer Science and Mathematics student at NYU Abu Dhabi, originally from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I’m naturally curious and tend to think a lot about how system, whether technological or social, shape the way people experience the world. I’m especially interested in questions around access, representation, and decision-making. Outside of academics, I enjoy playing chess, exploring new places, and spending time with friends. I also care deeply about education and have been involved in initiatives supporting students from diverse academic backgrounds.