Thirteen of the University of South Florida’s most ambitious undergraduate students have been chosen for the Millennium Fellowship class of 2024. With over 52,000 applicants from 6,000 campuses in more than 170 countries, USF is one of only 280 universities — representing the top 5% worldwide — selected to host Millennium Fellows this year.
The Millennium Fellowship is an international, semester-long leadership development program designed for undergraduates passionate about generating social impact. Students apply together as a university cohort, proposing community service projects that advance one or more of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Upon acceptance, fellows convene regularly and receive virtual mentoring from the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) and the Millennium Campus Network (MCN). They challenge each other to think bigger and celebrate the community impact they create together.
Commenting on the achievements of this year’s cohort, USF Office of National Scholars Director Sayan Basu emphasized the significance of being selected.
"USF has consistently excelled as a producer of Millennium Fellows, and this year’s cohort is especially remarkable. Not only have they developed an impressive array of projects, but they were also selected from a record number of applicants worldwide," said Basu.
The USF Office of National Scholars is responsible for guiding USF students and alumni through scholarly development programs, including prestigious award programs like the Millennium Fellowship.
DIVERSE PROJECTS WITH GLOBAL IMPACT
This year’s USF Millennium Fellows have designed a variety of projects aimed at creating meaningful change in communities around the world. Before being selected, USF’s 13 fellows formed groups, conducted research, and connected with stakeholders across Tampa Bay to establish their initiatives:
Students Against Trafficking
Hillsborough County currently lacks comprehensive human trafficking education, despite Tampa ranking #12 nationally for human trafficking cases. This team’s goal is to raise awareness and provide resources by creating the student organization Students Against Trafficking. Partnering with local nonprofits, they aim to provide prevention education to all USF students.
- Adam Mansoor - College of Arts and Sciences
- Ashley Parow - College of Arts and Sciences
- Roy Chen - College of Arts and Sciences
- Sara Mansoor - College of Arts and Sciences
Seed Library
2024 Millennium Fellow Dharsh Saravana
A seed library fosters local biodiversity and food security by enabling seed sharing among community members. It helps preserve heirloom varieties, supports adaptation to climate change, and offers a platform for gardening education and sustainable practices. This team is working with USF administration to establish a seed library on the USF Tampa campus, offering students a sustainable gardening option within their community.
- Amelie McLeod - College of Arts and Sciences
- Ameya Singh - College of Arts and Sciences
- Dharsh Saravana - College of Arts and Sciences
- Leila Sujanani - College of Arts and Sciences
Hopeful Oyster
This team aims to enhance climate literacy among K–12 children through creativity. They are authoring a children’s book to counteract negative climate narratives and inspire positive action and environmental stewardship in young readers.
- Quyen Tran - College of Arts and Sciences
- Maria Issacs - College of Arts and Sciences
Hackabull Hackathon
Hackabull 6.0 is a student-run hackathon connecting USF students with local technology companies to develop solutions to everyday problems.
- Adelitta Stanton - College of Engineering
Greener Practices USF
This team is spearheading various sustainability initiatives at USF, including composting efforts in the USF dining halls.
- Delaney Ross - College of Arts and Sciences
EmpowerEDU
EmpowerEDU aims to provide mentorship and resources tailored to the unique challenges faced by immigrant students.
- Livia Guimaraes De Oliveira - College of Arts and Sciences
CELEBRATING TOMORROW’S LEADERS
USF leadership praised the Millennium Fellowship for offering students high-impact experiential learning opportunities that yield lasting benefits.
"The long-term impact of the Millennium Fellowship is hard to overstate,” said USF Judy Genshaft Honors College Dean Charles Adams. “The program equips students with the experiences, skills, and insights necessary to lead meaningful change, preparing them for successful futures."
According to the 2023 Millennium Fellowship Impact Report, over 1.3 million people were positively impacted by the 1,906 unique projects created by Millennium Fellows last year.