Every year, the Millennium Campus Network and United Nations Academic Impact choose a cohort of Millennium Fellows who are committed to advancing the ideals of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This year, as in past years, Honors Program students were among those at Georgia Tech selected for this prestigious fellowship. Of the 26 students selected, four are member of the Honors Program (HP). They will work over the course of the semester to develop leadership skills and to implement the SDGs in their local communities. Their work aligns with the mission of the HP to fosters curiosity, creativity, and connection and to advance the Georgia Tech mission of “Progress and Service.” Below we highlight the work of three of the Millennium Fellows, Melody Lee, Sriya Surapaneni, and Esha Venkat. The fourth, Zoya Goel, has already graduated and is now pursuing her master’s degree in computer science.
Melody Lee is a second-year member of the Honors Program and a Stamps President’s Scholar. She comes to Georgia Tech from Cary, NC and is pursuing a major in Computer Science and a minor in Mathematics. Some of her favorite things are the “three Rs”- reading, running, and research, and she serves as the Editor-in-Chief of The Tower, Georgia Tech’s undergraduate research journal! Her Millennium Fellow project focuses on the impact of societal pressures and culture on women in the Atlanta area. In particular, it seeks to identify plausible infrastructural changes that may be introduced to better support women in the workplace. With her drive and motivation, with an underlying belief in the importance of making others’ stories heard, Melody seeks a world in which all people receive the support and encouragement they need to flourish and thrive. After her Millennium Fellowship and Georgia Tech experience are over, she hopes to pursue a PhD in either Theoretical Computer Science or Computational Science and Engineering. Reflecting on her achievement, she says:
My hope is that the lessons learned and applied from the Millenium Fellowship allow me to become a more effective leader and changemaker as I teach the next generation of industry professionals, scientists, and researchers.
Sriya Surapaneni is a fourth-year student from Denver, CO who is majoring in Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Computational Data Analysis. She’s active in the GT Society of Women Engineers, Student Government Association, and on the Office of Undergraduate Education’s Student Advisory Board (OUE is the home unit of the Honors Program). She’s also a tour guide, researcher, TA, and singer with the a cappella group Nothin’ but Treble. Her Millennium Fellow project is part of the AI Research Ethics Initiative at the intersection of AI, ethics, and healthcare. It seeks to develop a comprehensive ethical framework for biomedical AI research, focusing on transparency, accountability, and the responsible use of technology. She plans on pursuing graduate degree(s) in artificial intelligence for biomedical engineering. She stated that:
The Millennium Fellowship has taught me the value of advocacy and resilience, which are traits I intend to carry with me throughout school and life. Furthermore, interacting and working with peers who are equally motivated to make a change in our community is inspiring, and I hope to continue serving my community once I graduate.
She’s been a dedicated member of the Honors Program and said that it has provided her with some of her most cherished memories at Georgia Tech, including conversation in the residence hall, outings, and classes with amazing faculty members. She said that she “appreciate[d] how the Honors Program cares about mentorship, professional development, and socialization right from the beginning, especially as an out-of-state student” and that her “time at Tech wouldn’t be the same without Honors.”
Esha Venkat is a sophomore majoring in Public Policy with concentrations in Energy & Environment Policy and Science & Technology Policy. Her policy focus is perfect for someone from Ashburn, VA, which is just outside of Washington, DC. She has served as a leader in many capacities and organizations, including Points of Light, Giving Tuesday, Rileys Way Foundation, YOUNGA, ICANHELP, World Bank’s Global Youth Climate Network, UNESCO, Good Deeds Day, Civics Unplugged, Millennium Campus Network, Be Strong Global, UNA-USA, Global Peace HQ, Youth and Service America. She was also just recently named a “walk-on” Stamps President’s Scholar. She’s active on campus in the Honors Leadership Council and a variety of clubs and organizations and is the founder and COO of global non-profit NEST4US, which is a philanthropic platform whose mission is to make the world better through kindness by mobilizing volunteers worldwide to advance progress on societal issues and spark solutions for the greater good. The organization is fueled by 7,500+ volunteers who have contributed $4.5+ million dollars in value of volunteer hours, impacting tens of thousands of people in over 30 countries. Her work with NEST4US formed the basis of her Millennium Fellows project, which will promote service projects. She hopes that her work will “break current narratives by amplifying the voices of minority groups, rally citizens to use their voices to create positive lasting change, spark intergenerational dialogue, and give back agency to those spearheading collaborative community-based systems reformation.” She brings this passion to the Honors Program, where she works on the Civic Service Committee of the Honors Leadership Council to curate volunteer opportunities for Yellow Jackets across campus and Atlanta.
These students truly represent the best of the Honors Program and of Georgia Tech, and we commend them for their work in the Millennium Fellows program.
Additional information on Georgia Tech’s Millennium Fellows is available here.