Five students from the College of Biological Sciences have been selected for a prestigious global fellowship program that focuses on social impact projects, an achievement that was first announced by UC Davis Global Affairs earlier this fall.

The Millennium Fellowship is a highly selective semester-long global leadership development program run by United Nations Academic Impact and the Millennium Campus Network. Fellows convene to learn from and challenge each other, both at their home campuses and with peers at other institutions.

This year, more than 25,000 students applied, with only 2,000 accepted into the program. 28 UC Davis students joined a cohort of fellows from 136 universities spread across 30 countries.

Lasting social impacts

Of the 28 UC Davis students selected as Millennium Fellows, five are current CBS undergraduates and were chosen for projects that range from helping children with HIV in rural India better manage and understand HIV/AIDS and promoting mental health among high-school and college students, to an initiative that will help students find their passion in STEM fields.

HIV Little Stars Educational Curriculum

With a focus on HIV+ youth in the rural village of Andimadam, India, this project is in partnership with "Little Stars," an organization named to remind children of their potential to shine despite their HIV status, and aims to create an educational curriculum that will help debunk myths, disseminate accurate knowledge, and combat the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS.

CBS student fellows: Aparna Manoj and Samveda Rukmangadhan, Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior; Mehrab Hussa, Molecular and Medical Microbiology

STEM for All

Many students feel there are certain factors that prevent them from pursuing an education or career in STEM fields. This project will provide resources, talks and experiments to show a different side of STEM that will empower students to follow their interests in STEM fields.

CBS student fellow: Nerea Goni, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

My State of Mind

A branch of Talang Dalisay, a youth-led mental health non-profit organization based in the Philippines, My State of Mind will focus on expanding advocacy for mental health beyond the Philippines by supporting American high-school and college students.

CBS student fellow: Ritz Harley Tolentino, Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior