2027 Morehead-Cain Global Fellows
The Morehead-Cain Foundation has announced the 2027 Morehead-Cain Global Fellows, who begin a one-year fellowship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC–Chapel Hill) this August.
The twelve 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 comprising nearly 400 current Morehead-Cain Scholars and 3,500 alumni.
Launched with the inaugural cohort 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. All candidates have completed at least two years of undergraduate study, were nominated by their home institution or a nationally-recognized leadership development program, and have demonstrated sustained leadership impact on their campuses.
At UNC–Chapel Hill, Morehead-Cain Global Fellows engage in rigorous academics, immersive research, and meaningful cross-cultural exchange. Nine global fellows have already arrived on campus, with three additional global fellows anticipated to join upon completion of visa processing. The program includes leadership programming designed to deepen purpose, build capacity, and expand each global fellow’s impact on the world.
Morehead-Cain President Chris Bradford said the global fellows are already doing the work of leadership, from improving maternal health outcomes in Nigeria to leading food sustainability initiatives in Malaysia.
“These global fellows will enrich every classroom, conversation, and scholar whose world is expanded by knowing them,” Bradford said. “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.”
High-resolution images of the 2027 Morehead-Cain Global Fellows are available for download here. Biographies appear below, listed alphabetically by country.
Morehead-Cain Global Fellows ’27
Morehead-Cain Global Fellows are listed alphabetically by country. Students noted with an asterisk (*) are listed in more than one location due to either their hometown or school location.
Brazil
Lívia Rodrigues de Lima
Ana Lívia Rodrigues de Lima (Lívia) 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 PhD in molecular biology and contribute to global infectious disease research as a scientist and professor.
India
Aadhyanth Kumar
Aadhyanth Karthik Kumar (Aadhyanth) 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 AI-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.
Faisal Siddiqi
Faisal Muhiuddin Siddiqi (Faisal) 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.
Surbhi Singh
Surbhi Singh (Surbhi) 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 in the Indian military.
Chirag Somani
Chirag Somani (Chirag) 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
Chloe Chan
Ying Shan Chan (Chloe) 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 eighteen 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.
Sidney Chong
Sidney Chong (Sidney) 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. Sidney 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.
Jeff Ng
Jun Feng Ng (Jeff) 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 fourteen Malaysian states, with a focus on underprivileged youth. Long term, he aims to establish impact investment funds that identify and empower high-potential, under-resourced talent.
Nigeria
Favour Awolana
Favour Awolana (Favour) 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.
Niri Dido
Niri Dido (Niri) 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.
Oluwasemilore Idowu
Oluwasemilore Idowu (Oluwasemilore) 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 across 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 (Nil Zeren) 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.