The University of South Florida (USF) has announced that 15 of its undergraduate students have been selected for the United Nations Millennium Fellowship, marking the university’s largest cohort to date. The Millennium Fellowship is a semester-long international leadership program for undergraduates focused on advancing global partnerships and social good.
This year’s USF group was chosen from a record pool of more than 60,000 applicants representing over 7,500 campuses worldwide. Only about 4% of those campuses were selected to host Millennium Fellows in 2025, with more than 290 campuses participating globally.
Students are admitted to the fellowship by proposing projects aimed at one or more of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which include reducing inequality, improving health and education, and promoting economic growth. Biomedical science majors Arni Madhok and Shanelle Chan will serve as campus directors for USF’s projects this year.
“I have already gotten to know students from Ireland and Nigeria,” said Arni Madhok.
Shanelle Chan explained her motivation for applying: “I applied to have a larger platform to pursue social impact. A lot of other programs aren’t connected to institutions like the United Nations. We’re able to do more than with just a local club.”
Madhok highlighted the value of connecting with peers internationally: “Several people messaged me after the initial town hall meeting. I have already gotten to know students from Ireland and Nigeria.”
Throughout the fall semester, USF’s Millennium Fellows will launch their projects and participate in training sessions provided by the fellowship. The USF Office of National Scholars will advise recipients and mentor future applicants.
Projects proposed by this year’s fellows address various issues such as literacy promotion through Little Free Libraries (“Books & Butterflies”), campus health screenings (“Campus Health Check”), career development platforms (“Catalyst Connect”), healthcare accessibility for refugee and immigrant women, community-building initiatives for women (“Herizon”), environmental awareness documentaries (“Hidden Gems for a Greener Future”), genetics research in public health (“Inclusive Genetics Initiative”), chronic disease education workshops (“Non-Communicable Disease Advocacy Series”), intimate partner violence awareness among South Asian youth (“Shakti: South Asian Youth Against IPV”), and youth education on neurodegenerative disorders.
Many participants are also members of the Judy Genshaft Honors College at USF, which emphasizes global citizenship. Charles Adams, Dean of the Honors College, commented: “This is a real point of pride for the Honors College and USF. Our students are putting in the work to apply what they are learning here in our classrooms while making important relationships with community stakeholders that will benefits future generations as well.”
Sayan Basu, Director of the USF Office of National Scholars, added: “We are proud that USF students have for the past few years conceived and implemented innovative projects which contribute to community well-being on campus and around Tampa.”
For further information about the United Nations Millennium Fellowship program at USF, visit their Office of National Scholars website.
