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2015 Global Winners

Thomas Buisson

City University London
Business

Li Sou

Durham University
Classical Studies & Archaeology

Ying Kai Loh

Nanyang Technological University
Chemical & Pharmaceutical Sciences

Aleksejs Sazonovs

University of St Andrews
Computer Science

Katelin Hanson

University of Edinburgh
Earth & Environmental
Sciences

Rui Shi

Durham University
Economics

Jane Hutchison

Western University
Education

Kam Sen Hao

Nanyang Technological University
Engineering & Built Environment

Ronan O’Brien

Princeton University
Languages & Linguistics

Matilda Gillis

Australian National University
Law

Hana Sedlackova

Masaryk University
Life Sciences

Melissa Alexander

University of Strathclyde
Literature 1710-Present

Michelle Harder

Western University
Literature Pre-1710

Eilidh Johnston

University of St Andrews
Mathematics & Physics

Carolina Are

City University London
Media & Journalism

Marianne White

University of Dundee
Nursing & Midwifery

Conor MacDonald

University of St Andrews
Medical Sciences

Leow Wei Yang

Nanyang Technological University
Psychology

Weng Kin San

Australian National University
Philosophy & Theology

Ruth Murphy

Trinity College, Dublin
Social Sciences

Joshua Feinzig

Yale University
Gender Studies & Anthropology

Megan Falconer

University of Dundee
Visual Arts & Design

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Thomas Buisson

Business
City University London

Winning Paper: The Prominence of Hedge Fund Activism: The Impact of Agency Cost Reduction and Other Strategies on Target Company Share Price Performance

Thomas is a recent graduate from Cass Undergraduate Business School where he received a first class honors degree in Banking & International Finance. Thomas received two Cass Undergraduate scholarships based on academic merit his first two years and upon graduation, was invited to become a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma society for finishing among the top 10 students overall. During his time at Cass, Thomas also undertook a 12 month professional placement with Union Bancaire Privée where he worked closely with their Hedge Fund Research desk and developed many technical skills.

From a social perspective, Thomas was a member of various finance, investing, and networking societies at university, as well as the City University’s Mountaineering Society (CUMC). Since graduation, Thomas has been working at Liberum Capital in London where he is rotating between Investment Banking, Sales, Trading, and Equity Research as part of their 12 month Graduate Scheme rotational programme.

Li Sou

Classical Studies & Archaeology
Durham University

Winning Paper: New Light on Colour: a study of polychromy on Neo-Assyrian reliefs

Li Sou completed her undergraduate degree in Archaeology in 2014 at Durham University, and has recently completed a Masters in the same subject, for which she was awarded the Ian Colquhoun Bursary for Prehistoric Archaeology. Li has worked in public outreach roles for the Manchester Museum, York Archaeological Trust and as a field archaeologist for Cotswold Archaeology. She is currently employed at the Oriental Museum, Durham.

Her research interests include depictions of the past, the nature of public engagement with professional archaeology and how non-specialists perceive the discipline, particularly through specific time periods that especially fascinate her. For example, her undergraduate research focussed on the past use of colours on stone sculpture from Neo-Assyrian palaces, which allowed her to produce polychromy reconstructions of these monumental artefacts. Li’s most recent research has focussed on a particularly enigmatic type of Late Iron Age monument in Britain called oppida, and their academic interpretation through time. This research found that changing trends in archaeological interpretation have greatly impacted on how these monuments have been perceived.

Li is now furthering her archaeological skill set through working with numerous commercial and academic archaeological organisations, and is looking to use her abilities to develop an original PhD research project.

Ying Kai Loh

Chemical & Pharmaceutical Sciences
Nanyang Technological University

Winning Paper: Capturing a Dicationic Phosphorus Mononitride Containing a P=N Double Bond

Ying Kai Loh is interested in Chemistry, in particular Main Group Chemistry, where he has been actively pursuing his research since his first undergraduate year. Main Group Chemistry involves the synthesis and isolation of Main Group compounds which are regarded as highly reactive and elusive through novel stabilization strategies.

In 2014, Ying Kai Loh successfully isolated a compound containing a rare B=O double bond and published it as first author in Chemical Communications. In 2015, he was first to capture the fleeting [PN]²⁺ molecule and published it as first author in Inorganic Chemistry.

Ying Kai Loh was awarded the prestigious A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore) Undergraduate Scholarship to pursue his undergraduate studies in Chemistry at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. During his undergraduate stint, he was placed in the Dean’s list in Chemistry and the Chairman’s Honours List in A*STAR for two consecutive years. In his final semester, he embarked on an exchange programme with University College London.

Ying Kai Loh recently graduated and was conferred BSc in Chemistry and Biological Chemistry with First Class Honours. Subsequently, he was awarded the prestigious National Science Scholarship (PhD) by A*STAR to pursue a DPhil in Main Group Chemistry at University of Oxford with distinguished Prof. Simon Aldridge.

Aleksejs Sazonovs

Computer Science
University of St Andrews

Winning Paper: A Metapopulation Model for Predicting the Success of Genetic Control Measures for Malaria

Aleksejs graduated from the University of St Andrews in 2015 with a first-class honours in computer science. During his studies, he was actively involved in student representation, being the class representative and the school president for computer science. In order to get research experience, he had interned with various academic and research organizations including the University of St Andrews, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Microsoft Research, and Disney Research.

His interest in computational biology emerged when he was a part of the university’s iGEM team and developed further when he was working on the undergraduate thesis. Supported by the Wellcome Trust, Aleksejs is currently pursuing a PhD in Mathematical Genomics and Medicine at the University of Cambridge. Aleksejs is particularly interested in applications of network theory in biology and medicine.

Katelin Hanson

Earth & Environmental Sciences
University of Edinburgh

Winning Paper: An evaluation of the offshore wind power potential utilizing WindFloat technology in Coos Bay, Oregon

Katelin moved from the United States to Scotland in 2011 and began her undergraduate degree at the University of Edinburgh. There she studied Ecology and Environmental Sciences where she focused on natural resource management, conservation, and atmospheric systems. During this time, she interned with Oregon Solar Energy Industries Association and the non-profit organization Ecotrust. She graduated in 2014 with a strong desire to learn more about climate change and the globalizing world. She continued straight into the Carbon Management graduate program at the University of Edinburgh where she received the Deutsche Scholarship Award, and was a finalist for the Iberdrola USA Foundation Scholarship. With focuses on carbon economics, business and global climate change, the program enabled Kate to expand her knowledge on international and national environmental policy.

She recently completed her graduate dissertation that modeled electric vehicle deployment as a means for carbon reduction and oil independence on the island of Oahu, Hawai’i.

Katelin has now moved back to Portland, Oregon where she plans to solidify work within the sector of renewable energy and/or island sustainability.

Rui Shi

Economics
Durham University

Winning Paper: Income Inequality and Economic Growth – an investigation

Rui, also known as Aruhan, graduated from BA Finance (Durham University) with a first class honour, and MSc Economics (Warwick University) with a distinction. She is now undertaking MRes/PhD research at Warwick University on the timely and highly policy relevant topic of macro modelling without rational expectations. Her research focuses on theory and empirics of macroeconomic modelling in the framework of general equilibrium in order to better understand the transmission mechanisms of policies and macro disturbances. She is also interested in applying machine learning techniques to relevant policy issues. Rui has also worked at the UNESCO headquarters within the Social and Human Science sector.

Jane Hutchison

Education
Western University

Winning Paper: Bringing Neuroscience to the Classroom: A Case for the Value of Mind, Brain and Education

Jane is a recent graduate with a B.A. (hons) in Psychology from Western University. She is particularly interested in developmental psychology and for that reason she chose to specialize in developmental cognitive neuroscience. In the final year of her undergraduate degree Jane completed a thesis project investigating the neural and behavioral correlates of numerical and non-numerical ordering. Her thesis was recognized as the best 4th year thesis in Psychology at Western and she was awarded a certificate of academic excellence from the Canadian Psychological Association for the project. Jane is currently working as a research assistant in a numerical cognition lab, where she is assisting with various behavioral and neural imaging projects investigating how children learn math. She is specifically interested in how scientific research can be applied to improve education.

Jane hopes to continue her studies and eventually complete a PhD in developmental psychology.

Kam Sen Hao

Engineering & Built Environment
Nanyang Technological University

Winning Paper: Design and Fabrication of 3D Printed Car for the Shell Eco Marathon Asia Competition in Battery Electric Urban Concept Category

Kam Sen Hao is from Johor Bahru, Malaysia and graduated with a Bachelor with honors in Mechanical Engineering from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore in 2015. During his university life he was an active member in Nanyang Venture Team under the supervision of Assoc Prof Ng Heong Wah and Assoc Prof Francis M.J. Nickols, and has been participating in Shell Eco Marathon Asia since his second year. The team has won several awards, including runner-up in diesel prototype category, vehicle design and safety award in the competition.

In his final year, Sen Hao was awarded the Best Final Year Project in 3D Printing Book Prize supported by Stratasys.

Currently he is working as Graduate Design Engineer in Dyson, Singapore.

Ronan O’Brien

Languages & Linguistics
Princeton University

Winning Paper: Opportunity Be Knockin’: Race and Invariant Be in Hip-Hop Language

Ronan O’Brien is a senior at Princeton University pursuing an independent concentration in linguistics. His research has a sociolinguistic focus, exploring how race and gender influence language usage, and how cultural pressures towards authenticity impact code-switching by speakers. Ronan is also pursuing a minor in Translation and Intercultural Communication, and has studied Spanish, French, Persian, and Polish. He enjoys Spanish-English literary translation, both as part of coursework and in his free time, and serves with a campus group that provides volunteer document translation to non-profit organizations.

Ronan has studied abroad in Poland, France, and Switzerland, and has interned with the UN World Food Programme in Ecuador.

Matilda Gillis

Law
Australian National University

Winning Paper: No Peace for Women

Matilda is in her fifth year of a combined Arts (Political Science) Law degree at the Australian National University. During her time at ANU, she has won numerous prizes in law, as well as scholarships and travel grants to study overseas at Yale University, Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana in Indonesia, Sciences Po Paris and at the European Academy in Germany.

Matilda has worked as a research assistant for several academics at the ANU College of Law and completed legal clerkships at both the Australian Government Solicitor and a commercial law firm, Matilda currently volunteers at the ACT’s Women’s Legal Centre.

Hana Sedlackova

Life Sciences
Masaryk University

Winning Paper: Role Of Recq4 Protein In Recombination And Dna Repair

Hana has always been interested in biology and chemistry. When she attended elementary school, she participated in a lot of different biological competitions and had excellent results. During her high school education Hana wanted to construct more knowledge in the field of biochemistry. She enrolled in the research fellowship ´Repair of Damage DNA´ in the Laboratory of Recombination and DNA Repair at Masaryk University (MU).

Hana has mastered many biochemical and molecular-biological methods. Using her laboratory experience Hana started her own research. In 2011, she won first prize in the prestigious national competition ´Ceska hlavicka´ with her scientific project. She then decided to study biochemistry at the Faculty of Science at MU.

Hana has participated in several national and international conferences (EMBO YIP meeting in Strasbourg) and has won several grants (GE foundation scholar-leaders, Price of Cori spouses – Sigma-Aldrich grant). Last year she successfully earned a Bachelor degree of Biochemistry. This year a research paper entitled ‘RECQ4 selectively recognizes Holliday junctions’ (DNA repair journal) was published, in which Hana was the first author. In her free time Hana teaches young students about various scientific topics in BIOSKOP at MU.

Melissa Alexander

Literature 1710-Present
University of Strathclyde

Winning Paper: The Phenomenology of Space in Literary Representation: The Experience of Presence and Perception

Melissa is studying for the Master’s degree Literature, Culture and Place at the University of Strathclyde. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in English Literature at Strathclyde this summer, receiving The English Studies Prize, the Keith Morton Memorial Prize (for the most distinguished mature student), and the Peggy Grant Prize (for best dissertation).

Her research interests include cognitive approaches to literature, human-animal studies, and Gothic and sensation novels in the Victorian period.

Michelle Harder

Literature Pre-1710
Western University

Winning Paper: “As lauce leues of pe boke”: Cleanness and the Perils of Vernacular Reading

Michelle’s B.A. is an Honours Specialization in English literature and a minor in philosophy, with romanticism and theory as key areas of focus, feminism and ethics being central interests in the latter. Michelle’s other main interest is creative writing.

Michelle’s academic awards include four first-year subject awards, the Olive Higgins scholarship twice, and the Alice Veronica and William Kenneth Rogers scholarship.

Eilidh Johnston

Mathematics & Physics
University of St Andrews

Winning Paper: DNA Assisted Fabrication of 3D Metamaterials

Eilidh was born in Germany, but has lived and studied in Fife, Scotland from a young age. It is here where she recently graduated from the University of St Andrews with a first class MPhys, physics degree. While at University, Eilidh was placed on the Dean’s List for Academic Excellence on numerous occasions.

Eilidh likes continually challenging herself and has spent two summers interning at the defence company, Thales. As an Electro-Optic and Algorithms Engineer, Eilidh helped create an algorithm to replace a subjective camera performance test with an objective one which is also quicker and repeatable. In her spare time, Eilidh enjoys video making and editing, bringing an idea from concept to finished product. She has won two awards in a national science video contest; her entries involved making ideas such as the workings of spacesuits and the phenomenon of sonoluminescence accessible to a mass audience.

She has an avid interest in most sports and has played both badminton and hockey all across Scotland for St Andrews University. She enjoys big sporting events and tries to get close to the action where possible. She has been lucky enough to work at The Open and volunteer at the Commonwealth Games.

Carolina Are

Media & Journalism
City University London

Winning Paper: Journalists’ Twitter coverage of the death of Margaret Thatcher

Carolina is an Account Executive for the PR agency Manifest London. She graduated from City University London with a BA in Journalism in 2014 and received the prize for Best Dissertation that year. She presented her dissertation at the ECREA academic conference in Lisbon and at the International Journalism Festival in Perugia.

Carolina is a part-time writer trying to get her (fourth) fiction book published. She is also an active blogger and spent two months Couchsurfing across the United States blogging about her experiences. Additionally Carolina reviews cocktail bars, events and the London nightlife on a weekly column for the Italian online magazine Italian Kingdom.

In her final year of university, Carolina interned for PR firms Golin Harris and W Communications, worked part-time as a Social Media Assistant for Futureboard Consulting and launched a slow news website called The Charta on Kickstarter.

Marianne White

Nursing & Midwifery
University of Dundee

Winning Paper: Does the provision of evidence based information or decision aids versus usual care for healthy pregnant women with previous caesarean deliveries increase the number of vaginal births in subsequent pregnancies?

Marianne was born and brought up in a farming community in Scotland and from an early age was taught to care for and nurture our animals.

Initially she studied for a BSc (Hons) in Parasitology including a work placement in New Zealand, then travelled in Africa, Australia, India and the Pacific. Her interest in the human condition grew as she saw the effect different cultures, politics, poor infrastructure and health care had on communities.

In Afghanistan less than 15% of births are attended by a health professional, in Norway it is almost 100%. The risk of women dying due to pregnancy related causes in Niger is 1 in 7, in Ireland 1 in 47,600.

Following a break where she spent time with her two children, Marianne believes that her experiences influenced her decision for her future career. She completed an MSc in Human Nutrition and has also completed a clinical degree in Midwifery.

She currently works as a midwife for NHS Tayside and use the different knowledge and influences which have brought her to this point, to provide care in a woman centered manner. Marianne says that she is fortunate to work with a good and supportive team of midwives and that she hopes to further her career by combining midwifery with research.

Joshua Feinzig

Gender Studies & Anthropology
Yale University

Winning Paper: Black Performativity, Unabashed Reflexivity, and Reclaiming the Public Sphere: An Evaluation of Emporia State’s Victory at the 2013 U.S. Collegiate National Debate Tournament

Josh Feinzig is a senior at Yale University studying Ethics, Politics & Economics. Originally from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Josh’s research interests lie at the intersection of criminal justice policy and political theory. As a Yale Law School Arthur Liman Public Interest Fellow, Josh worked as an investigator for the New Orleans Public Defenders.

He is also a co-founder and director of Project Youth Court, a regional alternative juvenile justice system that tries second-time misdemeanor offenses in New Haven.