I am an MPhil student in Comparative Government at Hertford College, Oxford. My research focusses on how energy sanctions shape trade dependencies among autocratic states, with a particular focus on the role of clandestine ’dark shipments’ of oil and liquid natural gas. I am keenly interested in political methodology and, in my thesis, hope to explore the application of machine learning and geospatial imaging techniques for the detection of illicit maritime trade.
My Laidlaw project ('Smelling the Coffee: Discursive Ecologies and Maximalist Moderation in an Alt-Right Reddit Community') used natural language processing and difference-in-difference analysis to assess the effects of interventionist digital platform regulation on online hate speech.
Hi! My name is Rachel, and I am a Computer Science and Math student at the University of Toronto. My research project involves computationally analyzing Universal Basic Income (UBI) discussions on Reddit, combining my interests in computer science and public policy.
I'm a third year student at Columbia majoring in African-American and African Diaspora Studies and Psychology. I'm really into politics surrounding identity and the ways internet visibility affects young Black women.
Hi! My name is Ainav Rabinowitz, and I’m a rising Junior at Cornell University. I’m planning to double-major in Government and Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and minor in Near Eastern Studies and Public Policy. My research project investigates the militarization of law enforcement in the Middle East, analyzing the way in which civilian police forces have become more militarized and the way militaries have taken on law enforcement responsibilities. My research will more specifically focus on the consequences of militarization on human rights over the past two decades, offering a broad overview of the Middle East as well as a closer analysis of 2-3 countries across the political spectrum. I will be working with Professor Flores-Macías, who focuses on the consequences of militarization in Latin America.
Feel free to reach out! Some other facts about me: I love anything art-related (I primarily create digital illustration and acrylic paintings), and also always love sharing my favorite books:)
Hi👋🏾 I’m Pearls
I am a final year Law student at the University of Leeds. I recently completed a placement year at The Walt Disney Company as a CPGP Contract Management Intern (hence the 'industrial' next to my degree title)
My first-year research project looked at the way game-based learning could be incorporated into Multi-Academy Trusts (aka MATs) to improve the academic attainment and classroom engagement of GCSE-year black students. My Leadership-in-Action project was with MakeSense and focused on empowering minority communities within Mexico City.
I am currently in my fourth year of an undergraduate degree in Classics/Comparative Literature at the University of St Andrews and am particularly interested in accessibility within academia through public engagement and community building.
In my research project Queer Catullus, Catullan Queers, I looked at the history of queer adaptations of poems by the ancient Roman poet Catullus. Based on this research, I set up the collaborative arts project Catullan Identities which invited people to respond to the ancient poems creatively. During my Leadership-in-Action project I transformed this approach into a series of queer creative workshops which I ran in different parts of Scotland and that aimed at empowering queer communities in the face of rising transphobia and queerphobia across the UK.
Please feel free to browse the gallery of Catullan Identities on my website and don’t hesitate to get in touch with any questions.
As a native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, I was raised in a cultural melting pot that sparked my passion for community engagement at the local and global level. At the age of 16, I earned my first full scholarship to study abroad in Berlin, where I began working with refugees from the Middle East and Central Asia. I later graduated high school as a scholarship student at Li Po Chun United World College of Hong Kong, where my interest in human rights motivated me to work with Filipino and Indonesian domestic workers. Currently, I am a sophomore at Tufts University majoring in International Relations. At Tufts, I am a Tisch Scholar, a research assistant for the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, a board member for the Experimental College, a Tufts tour guide and a member of the International Club.
Isabel Kestler
Laidlaw Alumna (2021 cohort), University of St Andrews / University of Cambridge
I am a former Laidlaw Scholar (University of St Andrews, 2021 cohort) with a background in Philosophy and Mathematics. My research project focused on the Philosophy of Space Exploration and Exoplanet Science, and for my LiA project, I worked together with Think Pacific on a Youth and Development project in Fiji. After my undergraduate studies, I went on to do a master’s degree in History and Philosophy of Science at Cambridge (yet another Laidlaw partner university!), building on my previous Laidlaw research.
Hello fellow scholars!
My name is Thi (pronounced like tea) and I am a sophomore pursuing a degree in Biomedical Engineering and a minor in Computer Science. I look forward to learning more about my research, which is about traumatic brain injury, and connecting with you all this summer!
I'm currently 2/6th of the way to becoming a doctor 👩🏻⚕️
Studying medicine at The University of St Andrews means not only a great uni but also beautiful surroundings.
I have interests in: lifestyle medicine, psychiatry, infectious diseases and emergency medicine.
My dream is to become an expedition medic.
Ask me what I'm reading just now
I love to wild swim 🏊🏻♀️, wanna go?
I am interested in the fields of mechanobiology, biohybrid prosthetics, biophysics, Jungian psychology, and philosophy.
Recently in association with Laidlaw;
In Cornell University (N.Y, U.S.A.) I worked on curating an art book on biomechanics for charity to raise awareness in this field of science.
And in Trinity College Dublin (Ireland), we worked on developing a microphysiological model of the osteocytic network in the bone that can be used to better understand the (patho)physiology of bone using Direct Laser Writing technology using MLO-Y4 cell culture.
On the side;
In ETH Zürich (Switzerland), I was working on understanding bio-hybrid muscle actuators using C2C12 cell culture by amassing literature review, designing biobot unit, and conducting biocompatibility tests along with growing and differentiating muscle cells for further electrical stimulation.
At DogPatch Labs's Patch (Dublin, Ireland) I was experimenting with creating a start-up company to help amputees get affordable prosthetics.
On the (other) side;
I like to dance, write, and read anything I get my hands on; be it music, poetry, or even shampoo bottles.
Please feel free to contact me here or on LinkedIn for any discussions regarding the aforementioned topics!
Hi there! My name is Angel (she/her/hers), and I'm first-year and a native New York City resident studying Neuroscience and Behavior. I'm passionate about all things STEM and medicine, and I hope to learn more through research over the next few years. When I'm not in the lab or having my nose stuck in a book, you can find me listening to music, volunteering, exploring the city, and baking too much!
Hello! My name is Joe Linogao (he/him), and I am currently a Software Engineer at Akara Robotics and Engineering with Management graduate from Trinity College Dublin. I became a Laidlaw Scholar for TCD on April 2021 with my research proposal, "Automated Procedure for the Microbial Analysis of Contact Plates."
I'll be honest, I just copied and pasted my LSAB bio because I'm lazy to switch the paragraph to first person lol
"Joe is an Engineering with Management graduate from Trinity College Dublin, a Software Engineer at LegitFit and an active board member for the LSAB. His journey from mechanical engineering to full-stack software development highlights his adaptability and passion for technology, with his key interests being the startup and Software-as-a-Service space.
Joe's love for creating simple solutions and fun experiences, video games and music drives his innovative approach. His past experiences include research with the Laidlaw Foundation and working as a computer vision engineer at the leading robotics startup from Trinity, Akara Robotics. An ambitious and fast learner, Joe also enjoys Dungeons and Dragons and has a strong presence in content creation, including music and digital media."
I'm a student of Economics at University College London and as part of the Laidlaw programme, I'm researching building applications in subaltern housing in Imperial Shimla. This is a small part of a larger project studying social geography and urban planning in three cities: Jalandhar, Nasik and Shimla.
When I'm not drowning under coursework, I write for the research division of the Economic Tribune at UCL. I also enjoy practicing Brazillian Jiu Jitsu and have recently been introduced to climbing.
Hi! I am a first-year student at Tufts University and am very excited to be a Laidlaw Scholar. I am conducting research on how we can better shape refugee camps in Greece to facilitate more pluralistic interactions among children from various backgrounds through recreational purposes.
I'm an undergraduate research scholar at Tufts University double majoring in Biopsychology and Child Studies & Human Development, with a love for theatre and other performing arts. Youth development is central to my work both within and outside the academic field: I've served children in environments as diverse as arts education, athletics, academic studies, and after-school care. In particular, my work as a researcher and educator with The Drama Studio (a drama education organization based in Springfield, MA, USA) and as director of Tufts' LCS Tutoring have demonstrated to me the value of individualized, creative education opportunities for autistic and other neurodiverse youth, whose needs and skills often aren't fully met in traditional schools. My passions for performing arts and for working with neurodiverse communities drive me to study arts education access for autistic students as a Laidlaw Scholar. Through my research, I hope to better understand where and how autistic students access various forms of arts education, as well as what accommodations support a positive arts education experience. Feel free to email me if you'd like to chat about what this data could accomplish, or about your own work!
Hi! My name is Andra, and I am a graduate of the Laidlaw Scholars program in the 2021 cohort. I am currently working in clinical psychology research, which I also pursued during my time as a Scholar. For my first summer, I completed my research on a project studying racial discrimination as a traumatic stressor, and my second summer, I traveled to Dublin, Ireland to work with Youth Work Ireland on Dublin Pride arts programming. Happy to connect with current and past scholars :)
Hello fellow scholars! My name is Irene Pantekidis and I am a sophomore at Tufts University. I am looking forward to completing my research this summer which is focused on an antibody treatment for a rare genetic bone disease in zebrafish. I am also excited to meet many of you! In my free time, I enjoy singing and swimming, and I am also passionate about volunteering at Boston Children's Hospital!