The 2027 Morehead-Cain Global Fellows begin a one-year fellowship at UNC-Chapel Hill this August.
The 12 global fellows represent five countries — Brazil, India, Malaysia, Nigeria and Turkey —with academic interests spanning biotechnology, computer engineering, law, nursing and finance. They join a community of nearly 400 current Morehead-Cain scholars and 3,500 alumni.
Launched in 2025, the Morehead-Cain Global Fellows Program identifies exceptional student leaders at universities around the world and invites them to Chapel Hill for a fully funded year of study and leadership development.
“These global fellows will enrich every classroom, conversation, and scholar whose world is expanded by knowing them,” said Chris Bradford, Morehead-Cain president. “They carry a clear charge: to return home and use what they’ve built at Carolina to strengthen their own campuses for every student who follows. This is how leadership compounds across generations.”
Meet the global fellows, listed alphabetically by country.
Brazil: Ana Lívia Rodrigues de Lima
Ana Lívia Rodrigues de Lima is a biotechnology major at Universidade Federal do Ceará in Fortaleza, Brazil, where she researches bioactive wound dressings to prevent amputations in diabetic patients and advances molecular diagnostics. She founded and leads an English conversation club for public high school students, expanding access to language education and national exam preparation. Recognized nationally for academic distinction, she aspires to pursue a doctorate in molecular biology and contribute to global infectious disease research as a scientist and professor.
India: Aadhyanth Karthik Kumar
Aadhyanth Karthik Kumar is a computer science major specializing in cybersecurity at Vellore Institute of Technology-Chennai in Chennai, India, where he ranked first in his department twice and designs advanced cybersecurity challenges through the institute’s Cybersecurity Student Community. He conducts security research focusing on automotive security and artificial intelligence-integrated medical systems and plays Carnatic violin, performing regularly in his community. He is interested in entrepreneurship and aspires to build interdisciplinary ventures that bring together technical teams to solve urban planning and climate challenges.
India: Faisal Muhiuddin Siddiqi
Faisal Muhiuddin Siddiqi is a biological sciences and interdisciplinary computational engineering major at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras in Chennai, India. He previously served as a placement coordinator in the student-run Placement & Internship Cell, where he managed employer partnerships that shaped career opportunities for more than 1,000 students and led initiatives to automate manual workflows. He also organized the institute’s first Open Iftar, bringing together students of diverse faiths to break the Ramadan fast and foster meaningful interfaith dialogue on campus. Passionate about the intersection of technology and society, Faisal aspires to build ethical technologies that reduce digital harm and empower individuals.
India: Surbhi Singh
Surbhi Singh is a development studies major and United Nations Millennium Fellow at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras in Chennai, India, where she has advanced tribal land rights and led sustainability initiatives focused on replacing single-use plastics with locally sourced alternatives. As a senior cadet in the National Cadet Corps, she mentors junior cadets in leadership and service and volunteers as a long-term academic mentor to a rural student. She hopes to influence national sustainability policy and pursue public leadership.
India: Chirag Somani
Chirag Somani is an engineering design and quantitative finance major at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras in Chennai, India, and founder of the Engineering Design Association, his department’s first student body, established to strengthen technical growth and community bonding. Passionate about entrepreneurship, he founded Research Saarthi, which won IIT Madras’s startup accelerator program. He envisioned and led Entrepreneurship for the 21st Century, a nationwide initiative to give thousands of school students their first exposure to startups, and mentored early-stage innovators across India. He hopes to build scalable, AI-first ventures that address complex challenges on a global scale.
Malaysia: Ying Shan Chan
Ying Shan Chan is a law major and Yayasan Tunku Abdul Rahman scholar at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in Bangi, Malaysia, where she serves as vice president of academic activities in the Asian Law Students’ Association, coordinating academic programming across 18 national chapters and organizing international student convenings. She has represented her university in legal and policy forums while strengthening cross-border collaboration among future legal leaders. She aspires to begin her career in corporate law and ultimately contribute to international policy and governance.
Malaysia: Sidney Chong
Sidney Chong is a biotechnology major and Yayasan Tunku Abdul Rahman scholar at Universiti Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where she serves as chief strategy officer of Insective Lab, a student-led social enterprise that converts food waste into sustainable livestock feed to support underserved communities. She also runs Data Wizard, providing digital efficiency solutions to the social sector, and has a diverse research portfolio that spans biodiesel and sustainable biopolymers. She aims to merge her expertise in biological research and bio-entrepreneurship to develop affordable, accessible healthcare solutions in Malaysia.
Malaysia: Jun Feng Ng
Jun Feng Ng is a top-ranked finance major at Universiti Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, president of the Association of Malaysian Economics Undergraduates, and portfolio manager at Next Generation Investment Office. A winner of multiple national investment and finance competitions, Jeff spearheaded a nationwide initiative reaching more than 500 students across all 14 Malaysian states, with a focus on underprivileged youth. He aims to establish impact investment funds that identify and empower high-potential, under-resourced talent.
Nigeria: Favour Awolana
Favour Awolana is a law major ranked first in her class at Federal University Oye-Ekiti in Oye, Ekiti State, Nigeria, where she served as one of the pioneer judges of the Student Union Judicial Council, ensuring accountability across a campus of more than 12,000 students. She leads within the Christian Law Students Fellowship and volunteers with the Gold Heart Foundation to expand educational access for underserved children. She aspires to pursue public service and international law, strengthening institutions and advancing equitable economic policies.
Nigeria: Niri Dido
Niri Dido is a nursing science major at the University of Maiduguri in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria, and founder of Root Impact, an organization leading maternal health initiatives that advance birth preparedness and community resilience in the region. Recognized nationally for his maternal health innovations, he has partnered with local health workers to design evidence-based interventions addressing preventable delivery complications. He hopes to spend his career advancing community-centered public health solutions.
Nigeria: Oluwasemilore Idowu
Oluwasemilore Idowu is a law major at Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria, where she served as president of the TechMinded Lawyers Club, promoting the integration of technology into legal education and practice. Her interest spans technology, corporate and commercial law, social impact and creative writing. She has developed initiatives aimed at modernizing legal processes and expanding access to justice. She aspires to build a global career and tech-enabled law practice that reduces systemic delays in Nigeria’s justice system
Turkey: Nil Zeren Doğan
Nil Zeren Doğan is a computer engineering major at Boğaziçi University in Istanbul, Turkey, where she served as co-chair of her department’s Student Representative Board, representing more than 600 students in university governance and strengthening student–faculty dialogue. She conducts robotics research developing AI-driven systems and autonomous solutions. She aspires to pursue graduate study in artificial intelligence and lead teams building intelligent technologies that improve healthcare and mobility.
