While our amazing UMD students are enjoying a well-deserved break this summer, 23 incredible and passionate students were carefully selected to spend their summer break tackling some of today’s most pressing social issues. From topics such as AI, chronic illness and women's physical and mental health, these students are dedicating 16 hours a week to creating a better world for those around them, with a $4,000 stipend for their projects, as 2025 Accelerator Fellows.
For 8 weeks, these fellows will spend time participating in one-on-one coaching sessions, working independently on their projects, and participating in developmental activities and programs that provide insights into valuable tools and resources, such as workshops, panel discussions and other community events that increase project development and impact.
“I'm so thrilled to work with these incredible students this summer. Please take time to read more about the work our Summer Fellows are passionate about. Also, feel free to reach out to me if you would like to be connected to any of our project leaders.”Kisha McNeill Do Good Accelerator Manager
Amrutha Alibilli, ARTiculate Narratives Project
College of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences
In collaboration with Kindness in Action, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing children’s welfare, community health and environmental conservation, I am working to launch this initiative with 3 community partners: Buruburu Institute of Fine Arts in Nairobi, Kenya, Arulchandru Special School for Children with Neurodisabilities in Tamil Nadu, India, and Paper Airplanes. Students, teachers and community members are encouraged to share their unique narratives through a creative lens, and their ARTiculate Narratives will be published on the website. The artwork will be widely disseminated to promote global consciousness regarding hidden narratives.
Darshana Adhikari, heARTSforKids
Sophomore, Neurobiology & Physiology
Our project, heARTSforKids, focuses on promoting holistic healing for pediatric patients in hospitals through fine arts. Grounded in research that highlights the therapeutic benefits of art—including stress reduction, improved communication, and a sense of normalcy—heARTSforKids aims to bring these benefits into clinical settings. We plan to organize community drives to collect art supplies for hosting creative sessions with children at local hospitals and to donate extra materials directly to them. Additionally, we hope to involve local artists by inviting them to contribute artwork that can be displayed in hospital environments, to further support healing and comfort.
Vitthal Agarwal, ShellCare
Junior, Computer Science (Primary Major) + Mathematics (Secondary Major)
ShellCare is a multilingual, voice-first AI assistant that makes healthcare access simple, conversational, and inclusive. It helps patients understand their insurance coverage (copay, deductible, coinsurance), locate nearby in-network hospitals, and book appointments entirely through real-time, natural speech in the language they’re most comfortable with. ShellCare is built for patients who often face barriers navigating the U.S. healthcare system especially those in underserved, immigrant, and elderly communities. We're piloting ShellCare at UMD and nearby communities to prove its impact locally before scaling.
Lyric Amodia, The Movement Street
MBA candidate, Business Administration and Management
I’m currently working on expanding The Movement Street (TMS), a national volunteer-driven nonprofit I founded in 2020 to reimagine civic engagement through creativity, accessibility, and community-rooted service. Our mission is to increase volunteerism, especially among Black and Brown communities, by offering in-person, virtual, and passive volunteer opportunities that meet people where they are. Through signature programs like The Creative Classic arts gala and our wellness-based grocery initiatives, we’ve engaged over 3,400 volunteers and generated $28 million in community value. As a Fellow, I’m focused on launching and scaling a UMD chapter of TMS to mobilize student volunteers and establish a sustainable hub of service on campus.
Norma Porter Anthony, Black Dance Magazine 2025 Year-in-Review Issue
Master’s Candidate, Public Policy
I am currently working on publishing a special year-in-review print edition of Black Dance Magazine, dedicated to celebrating and reflecting on the richness and resilience of the international Black dance community in 2025. This edition will feature a dynamic collection of articles, columns, and editorials that highlight the groundbreaking contributions of Black dancers, choreographers, companies, and scholars across the globe. It will also delve into the pressing issues that continue to shape and challenge the field, offering critical insight and thoughtful commentary on the state of Black dance today.
Julia Atemafac, Terps Crown & Glory
Junior, General Biology
I am proposing the necessity of an on-campus salon. This salon is intended to answer, "How does the lack of education and resources for Black hair care on college campuses contribute to the stagnation of hair evolution among Black students?" The salon will serve as a space for student stylists to do hair as well as a workshop space where students can learn how to braid, cornrow, and take care of their hair.
Zhuohui Chen, Demojification of Social Biases
Freshman, PhD in Information Science
With the rapid development of online social interaction, the prevalence of social biases and hate speech also becomes alarming. Most social media platforms have exerted effort to design automatic detection systems to keep out possible harmful discourse from their end users. However, online toxicity is often subtle and cleverly disguised, hidden behind nuanced language, rhetorical devices, and more recently, emojis. Emoji perturbation, in particular, is a rising tactic used to evade detection systems by masking harmful intent through seemingly innocent symbols. This project investigates how well current Large Language Models (LLMs) can detect hate speech cloaked in emojis and aims to empower social media platforms with more intelligent, nuanced filtration systems.
Peter DeLalio, The Visibility Project
Senior, B.S. Economics, B.S. Chemistry, B.S. Mathematics
The Visibility Project is a student-led initiative focused on building a community for students living with invisible chronic illnesses. Our mission is to reduce the isolation, misunderstanding, and stigma that often accompany conditions without visible symptoms by promoting social connection and support, educational outreach, and service opportunities. We achieve this through a variety of initiatives, including educational seminars and discussions that raise awareness about the realities of living with invisible illnesses, fundraisers that support related causes, and service events such as community blood sugar screenings to promote accessible health services and wider social understanding. We hope to create a more informed and empathetic campus environment and reach those both affected and unaffected by illnesses for a more diverse and supportive community.
Alexis Hunter, Public Health Action Through Civic Engagement (PHACE)
4th year PhD student, School of Public Health
I am working to relaunch and expand the Public Health Action Through Civic Engagement (PHACE) organization, a student-led initiative founded within the School of Public Health. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, PHACE built momentum through advocacy, voter engagement and community education around health equity issues. However, like many student-led efforts, PHACE struggled to sustain engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic, when remote learning and social distancing made grassroots organizing nearly impossible.
Lindsey Layton, Gift of giving Gala- Student Success Leadership Council (SSLC)
Senior, Psychology with a minor in Human Development
The project I would be working on would be to expand the Gift of Giving Gala (G3) for the Student Success Leadership Council (SSLC). G3 is an elegant, formal affair that unites Black alumni, students, and supporters for an inspiring evening of celebration, featuring dinner, awards, scholarships, networking, and entertainment. It is a powerful and affirming space that uplifts the Black community on campus, recognizing both past achievements and future potential.
Maya Moore, Sustainabeauty
Senior, Finance and Business Management
The name Sustainabeauty is a play on the word sustainability, reflecting our mission to bridge the gap between environmental consciousness and beauty accessibility. Our initiative tackles two major issues: the affordability of beauty products and the growing concern of product waste. We recognize that many beauty products, whether it’s hair care, skincare, or makeup, often go unused and eventually get thrown away, contributing to waste. At the same time, there are countless individuals in need, particularly those experiencing homelessness, who lack access to these essential items. That’s where Sustainabeauty comes in. Our vision is simple yet impactful: we collect new and gently used beauty products from households, conduct quality testing to ensure they meet FDA safety standards, and redistribute them to homeless shelters across the country.
Denonte McKinney, EDvancedGPT
Senior, Business Administration
This summer, I am advancing the development and early commercialization of EDvancedGPT, an AI-powered platform that helps K–12 educators improve math proficiency by turning benchmark testing data into scaffolded, print-ready instructional resources. EDvancedGPT automatically groups students by learning gaps, generates small group activities, and embeds visual supports for IEP, ELL, and neurodivergent learners.
Kirstin Nichols, Students for Wellness
Master’s Candidate, Journalism and Social Data Science
In alignment with her career goals, she has founded a health communication program in collaboration with College Park Academy, which completed its first full season this past spring. In this initiative, UMD student-athletes going into health professions mentor middle school students as they develop their own community health campaigns based on prevalent issues they are passionate about. The goal is that in doing so, not only is community health improved, but students gain confidence in their health literacy and health advocacy abilities. A second goal is that the student-athlete mentors improve in their ability to communicate health ideas with younger populations. Kirstin is very excited to continue working on this initiative, ensuring its longevity!
Ayat Noor, CrossingPaths
Senior, Computer Science with a minor in general business
CrossingPaths is a global digital storytelling and peer connection platform for study abroad students. It offers a space for students to share personal experiences, connect with peers across countries and cultures, and build a supportive community while navigating life abroad. Students can engage in anonymous discussions, organized by location and topic, whether they’re seeking advice, sharing cultural insights, or reflecting on challenges like homesickness, relationships, or academic stress. While mental health support is one natural outcome of fostering these conversations, the platform’s core mission is to empower students to tell their stories, feel heard, and connect—across borders and backgrounds.
Kimberley Osias, The Woman in Me Initiative
Senior, Public Policy
WIM’s mission is rooted in three pillars: education, mentorship, and outreach. Since its launch in 2023, the organization has distributed over 900 menstrual and hygiene kits to students in Title I schools, homeless shelters, nonprofit organizations, and housing authorities.Since launching in 2023, WIM has distributed 900+ menstrual and hygiene kits to Title I schools, homeless shelters, nonprofits, and housing authorities; organized student-led service projects; and delivered workshops tailored to the needs of marginalized youth.What sets WIM apart is its unique approach to meeting communities where they are both literally and figuratively. The organization empowers youth not only to dream, but to lead with confidence in their personal lives and within their communities.
Benjamin Saenz, Valley Ai
Senior, Computer Engineering
At Valley AI, we are building the foundation of elderly care. Our mission is to harness the transformative power of artificial intelligence to create a world where seniors live with dignity, safety, and joy, and where caregivers are empowered to provide exceptional support. Through our AI-driven audio and video monitoring system, we are addressing one of the most pressing challenges of our time: the growing need for compassionate, high-quality care for an aging population. Our solution is designed to reduce preventable hospitalizations, enhance care quality, and support care facilities without the burden of additional hardware costs. At its core, Wise AI is a movement to ensure that every senior receives the care they deserve, and every caregiver has the tools they need to thrive.
Mohamed Salama, Empowering Ethical Journalism: Building BiasNope, an AI Tool for Addressing Racial Bias in Reporting
Ph.D. candidate, Journalism
BiasNope is an AI-powered writing assistant, delivered as a Chrome extension, that helps identify and address racially coded language and historical bias in reporting. It draws on my earlier work—the Counterspeech Lexicon, developed last semester as part of the Do Good Accelerator—and combines it with large language models to scan texts for problematic framing. When harmful or biased language is detected, the tool flags the text and explains the issue, offering context such as, “This is a passive construction that erases agency,” or “This mirrors framing used during 1890s lynching panic reporting.” BiasNope then suggests counterspeech-based rewrites and links to annotated sources or historical examples to deepen understanding.
Gabrielle Santos, Aurea
Sophomore, International Education Policy
Áurea is an impact-driven initiative dedicated to empowering Brazilian women to transform their careers globally. We support professionals from underrepresented backgrounds through a scientifically structured methodology, combining academic research, data-driven guidance, and professional coaching to help them access international career opportunities. Our mission is rooted in equity, evidence-based excellence, and a deep understanding of the real-life challenges women face, such as the double burden and lack of tailored mentorship. Áurea serves women aged 25–44, both in Brazil and abroad (especially in the U.S. and Canada), helping them navigate complex international application processes, overcome systemic barriers, and achieve meaningful, life-changing career transitions.
Maria Stepanyan, Health Heroes Challenge
Sophomore Business Management, Public Health Science
The Healthy Heroes Challenge is a youth-led health and nutrition education initiative combating high rates of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in Armenia that can be prevented or mitigated through healthy lifestyle habits. With over 93% of deaths in Armenia linked to NCDs like heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension, this program empowers middle school students to build lifelong healthy habits early. Each spring, Armenian-American university students deliver a week-long, after-school program in Armenia, using games, competitions, and hands-on activities to make nutrition and physical activity fun and engaging. Top participants are invited to a free summer camp, reinforcing lessons through nutrition related field trips and interactive experiences.
Eashana Subramanian, Student Chapter of the National Association of Minority Landscape Architects
Senior, Landscape Architecture, Environmental science and policy(environment and agriculture concentration)
UMD's student chapter of the National Association of Minority Landscape Architects (NAMLA) aims to foster an inclusive, equitable, and diverse environment within the field of landscape architecture. By providing professional development and education, volunteer opportunities to support underserved communities, and the creation of a student landscape architecture zine. NAMLA is dedicated to empowering students and highlighting the importance of equitable landscape design.
Fiza Sukhera, Postcards from the World
Senior, Information Systems and Marketing with a minor in Technology Innovation
I am launching a virtual, home-based travel agency that offers personalized and culturally immersive travel planning services to students, young professionals, and curious explorers. As a passionate traveler and final-year Information Systems & Marketing student with hands-on experience in marketing, operations, and nonprofit leadership, I aim to simplify the travel planning process while helping others create unforgettable experiences. This business will provide custom itineraries, group travel coordination, study-abroad consulting, and budget-friendly travel planning, all with a strong emphasis on storytelling, cultural appreciation, and responsible tourism. Services will be delivered virtually, allowing for flexibility and low overhead while reaching clients from various locations.
Dennis Tudor, Hearts In Action
Junior, Physiology & Neurobiology and Public Health with a minor in general business
Hearts in Action is a student-led organization dedicated to creating lasting positive impact in our community by organizing and executing year-round service initiatives aimed at addressing the needs of financially underserved individuals and families. Through community drives such as clothing, food, holiday gifts, and educational supplies, we aim to uplift individuals by providing them with essential resources while fostering an inclusive and collaborative environment for students to develop leadership skills. Our mission is not only to offer material support but also to create a culture of care, kindness, and social responsibility on campus. Our goal is to support and affect the lives of countless members of the DC metro area as well as those less fortunate in the College Park Area.
Pranshu Tyagi, Zierden Lab
Sophomore, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Over the past several months, I have worked under the guidance of a PhD student to explore new ways of improving drug delivery for women’s health. Our research focuses on using tiny particles called bacterial extracellular vesicles (bEVs) from E. coli to carry medicine through the vaginal mucus barrier—something that has traditionally been difficult to do. This work has the potential to make vaginal vaccines and treatments much more effective. To test this, we engineered bacteria to produce a fluorescent green protein that gets packaged into the bEVs, helping us measure how well the medicine is being loaded. By developing this new system, I’m helping to create more targeted and accessible treatment options for women, particularly in an area of medicine that is often overlooked and underfunded. This project is about more than just science; it’s about creating real, lasting change in healthcare for underrepresented groups.