Executive Board

  • Isabelle Murphy

    Executive Director

    Hometown: Raleigh, NC

    Major: Business Administration

    Minor: Conflict Management

  • Devon Henderson

    Director of External Development & Alumni Engagement

    Hometown: Lexington, NC

    Majors: Economics & Human and Organizational Leadership Development

    Minor: Entrepreneurship

  • Gabrielle Stevenson

    Director of Scholar Engagement

    Hometown: Winston-Salem, NC

    Major: Business Administration

  • Maanav Karamchandani

    Director of Finance & Operations

    Hometown: Johns Creek, GA

    Major: Business Administration

    Minor: Statistics and Analytics

  • Rishi Aila

    Director of Strategy & Internal Development

    Hometown: Cary, NC

    Majors: Business Administration & Public Policy

  • Anushri Wachche

    Marketing Chair

    Hometown: Cary, NC

    Majors: Pre-Business and Information Science

    Minor: Data Science

  • Maria Fernanda Portillo Melhado

    Events Chair

    Hometown: San Salvador, El Salvador

    Majors: Pre-Business and Advertising & Public Relations

Class of 2026 Scholars

  • Kathryn Chao

    Kathryn Chao is a current junior from Cary, NC, majoring in Economics with minors in Environmental Sciences and PPE (Philosophy, Politics, and Economics). She aspires to pursue a career in green finance and plans to attend law and business school to deepen her expertise in sustainability, policy, and business innovation.

    Kathryn's academic pursuits include serving as an Indo-Pacific Strategy Research Intern with the U.S. State Department, where she examines economic sanctions, human rights developments in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and the PRC solar PV supply chain. She is also an Investments Researcher for the International Development Research Club (IDRC@UNC), focusing on hydropower and renewable energy investments for Honduras. As Team Lead for Impact Consulting Studio through the Sustainable Business Club, Kathryn guides her team in consulting for a Forbes 30 under 30 biotech startup creating renewable textiles from seaweed.

    Beyond academics, Kathryn co-founded a sustainable fashion brand and works to build a fully traceable and domestic supply chain for luxury recycled textile goods. She manages roles in sales, photoshoot direction, and business development. She is also a member of NC Fellows under Student Life and Leadership and an Agora Fellow with the Department of Public Discourse.

    A Global Bridge Fellow through the Campus Y, Kathryn has pursued international work and service experiences abroad, engaging in circular economics research in South Africa, startup consulting in Namibia, environmental consulting in Thailand, and global solar policy research in Vietnam.

    In her free time, Kathryn enjoys rock climbing, singing, cooking, and window-shopping for cheap flights online. A fun fact about her: she once had a near-death experience bungee jumping in front of a UNESCO heritage site. Kathryn's work and passions reflect her commitment to advancing sustainability and global economic equity.

  • Colin Chen

    Colin Chen is a current junior from Cincinnati, OH, majoring in Neuroscience with minors in Entrepreneurship and Chemistry. He aspires to attend medical school and has a strong passion for research, innovation, and mentorship.

    Colin is a founding member of the Translational Neuro Oncology Lab, where he develops and tests experimental therapeutics for the treatment of Glioblastoma. He has played a pivotal role in establishing the lab, including procuring essential equipment and creating protocols to streamline experiments and data collection.

    Beyond academics, Colin serves as President of the UNC Run Club, leading the team in national-level competitions and daily runs across campus. He is also the Founder and President of Made4Me UNC, a project that designs and creates custom cardboard furniture and equipment for children with disabilities using Makerspace facilities in collaboration with the Raleigh-based Made4Me parent organization. Additionally, Colin is an academic coach for HEELSUP, a program that integrates students with autism into college life by supporting their participation in classes and extracurriculars. Over the summer, he worked as a resident advisor for the program, living with and mentoring participants.

    In his free time, Colin enjoys playing piano and is proficient at the kazoo. He also maintains a YouTube channel where he documents his endeavors with the Run Club. A fun fact about him: He has recorded a one-second video every day since his senior year of high school and creates a collage at the end of each month to record his experiences.

  • Tyler Coffee

    Tyler Coffee is a current junior from Cary, NC, studying Business Administration with a minor in Data Science. He aspires to a consulting and venture capital career, blending his analytical expertise with his passion for innovation and community impact. Tyler serves as an Executive Board Member for the Union of Black Men, working under the External Relations & Partnership Committee to foster meaningful collaborations. He has also contributed to Community Engagement and Student Wellbeing within the Kenan-Flagler Business School and as an Executive Director for UNCUT Chapel Hill, a storytelling platform for collegiate athletes.

    Outside of academics, Tyler is on the JV Men's Basketball team and is helping to plan our next campus-wide music festival as the Head of Strategy for Franklin Street Market. His hobbies include cooking, traveling, and playing an enthusiastic round of UNO. A proud son of Yakura Coffee and Nikitra Bailey, Tyler is also a Luther Hodges Scholar, gaining invaluable nonprofit consulting experience in Atlanta, Georgia, this past summer. A fun fact about Tyler: his first sport was gymnastics.

  • Samantha Greene

    Samantha Greene is a current junior from Bethesda, MD double majoring in Nutrition and Philosophy with a minor in Creative Writing. She plans to pursue a career in health litigation and negotiation, advocating for marginalized groups, particularly Black and Queer populations disproportionately affected by healthcare systems. Her goal is to attend law school and work with private or public sector firms to drive equity and justice in health policy.

    Samantha serves as the 57th President of the Black Student Movement, leading initiatives that create safe spaces for Black students while emphasizing community service. She is also a gut microbial student researcher in Carroll Labs at the Gillings School of Public Health, where her work focuses on computational microbiology analytics to explore public health concerns like starvation, anorexia, and gut safety. Additionally, Samantha is the Director of Strategy & Development for the American Mock World Health Organization (AMWHO), where she plays a key role in planning the organization’s 11th international conference in 2025.

    Outside of academics, Samantha is a Section Leader for the Marching Tar Heels’ Tuba Section, performing at football and basketball games as well as other athletic events. She also volunteers with the Community Empowerment Fund, dedicating her weekends to delivering and stocking food for the community fridge in Chapel Hill.

    A passionate fiction writer, Samantha is currently working on her first fiction series alongside crafting short stories in her free time. A fun fact about her: she has worn the color green every single day for years—a nod to her vibrant personality and name. Samantha’s journey is guided by a commitment to equity in action, ensuring every step she takes benefits others and mitigates harm, a mindset she hopes to inspire in everyone she meets.

  • Jakob Williams

    Jakob Williams is a current junior from Franklin, NC, double majoring in Political Science and Dramatic Arts with a minor in Advertising and Public Relations. His academic pursuits have ignited a passion for a future career in law, and he will be the first in his family to pursue a degree in the legal field.

    Jakob is deeply involved in academic and leadership initiatives at Carolina. He co-founded and serves as President of The Law Society at Carolina, spearheading initiatives such as law school admission panels, attorney panels, mentorship programs, LSAT workshops, and collaborations with UNC Law, attracting roughly 200 members. As Undergraduate Student Body Secretary, Jakob coordinates communication between student representatives, faculty, and administration to implement impactful initiatives. He is also an Agora Fellow for the UNC Program for Public Discourse, the student representative for the Equal Opportunity and Compliance Office Policy Advisory Group, and a member of Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity. Jakob has been recognized on the Dean's List every semester at Carolina.

    Outside of academics, Jakob serves as Deputy Chair for UNC Model United Nations, ranked 5th in the world. He also channels his creative side through background acting for television shows filmed in the southeastern U.S. In his free time, Jakob enjoys collecting vinyl records and engaging in the arts. This past spring, he was honored with the Undergraduate Student Government Medal of Excellence, the second-highest honor awarded to students for their service and dedication to the betterment of the university.

Class of 2025 Scholars

  • Emmy Martin

    Emmy is a current senior from Wake Forest, NC studying Journalism and Information Science. She is the first junior to serve as editor-in-chief of The Daily Tar Heel in over 3 decades. Some of her accomplishments include directing the newspaper’s coverage of the fatal shooting in 2023 on UNC’s campus and managing more than 350 student journalists across the financially independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a $600k annual operating budget.

    Emmy was later invited to the White House to attend President Joe Biden’s announcement of the first federal office of gun violence prevention because of her work. She was interviewed by CNN, MSNBC, NPR, NBC News, PBS NewsHour, and other news organizations and was invited to speak at several conferences about leading the newsroom through the traumatic event. Emmy is also proud to have interned at The Dallas Morning News in the summer of 2023 and she serves as the marketing chair of Phi Alpha Delta (UNC’s co-ed pre-law professional fraternity). Her academic achievements led to her membership in Kappa Tau Alpha Honor Society, an American college honor society that recognizes academic excellence and promotes scholarship in journalism, and Honors Carolina. Emmy has been recognized on the Dean’s list each semester at Carolina.

  • Joann Obioma

    Joann is a current senior from Douglasville, GA studying Public Policy and Social & Economic Justice on the pre-law track. She will be the first member of her family to pursue a law degree. Hailing from a Nigerian background, her parents instilled in her a strong sense of community and resilience. Joann has made impactful contributions as a key staff member for the Carolina Board of Director for the Carolina Union, a Chancellor's Commission member “History, Race, and A Way Forward, a mentor for first-year women of color in the Student Life and Leadership Spark program, and a co-founder of the inaugural Black Pre-Law Association.

    Her most remarkable achievements include being elected as the 56th Black Student Movement President, where she was recognized as the 2023 Most Active Member. Joann is also a member of the Theta Pi chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

  • Justin Wang

    Justin is a current senior from Chapel Hill, NC studying Biostatistics and Chemistry. He plays a pivotal role in the Student Health Action Coalition and serves as an Outreach Coordinator for the Get Covered Carolina (GCC) Initiative. Justin’s dedication earned him the prestigious Bryan Fellowship from the Carolina Center for Public Service for his work on SPROUT Nutrition, a nutrition-focused public health initiative inspired by his experiences as a food pantry volunteer.

    Beyond his involvement with the GCC, Justin is a student researcher at the UNC Institute for Environmental Health Solutions. His research focuses on environmental determinants of health. In his senior honors thesis, he plans to delve into epigenetic biomarkers and their impact on health outcomes.

    Justin also contributes to the executive planning committee of the Minority Health Conference, where he co-chairs the Posters Committee. This conference aims to raise awareness about racial health disparities and social determinants of health. His outstanding academic achievements have earned him membership in Phi Beta Kappa and Honors Carolina.

  • Noor Kazi

    Noor is a current senior from Lewisville, North Carolina studying Economics, Public Policy, and Data Science. She is studying abroad in Stockholm, Sweden for the Spring 2024 semester Noor was 1 of 20 Muslim students selected nationwide to be a fellow of the Muslim Public Affairs Council’s Congressional Leadership Development Program in D.C, where she helped write the final draft of the Eid Day Act. She also aided in the coordination of ‘Muslim Hill Day,’ a two-day event bringing together 500 Muslim advocates from around the country to advocate for Muslim rights legislation.

    Noor interned during the fall 2023 semester as a Criminal Justice Reform Intern for the Southern Coalition for Social Justice. Her 1-year research project with the Carolina Small Business Development Fund on the barriers experienced by female small business owners in North Carolina was published last semester. Noor serves on the board of The Policy Network as Professional Development Chair and is also Communications Chair for UNC Pakistan Society.

  • Olivia Cassidy

    Olivia is a current senior from Cary, NC studying Biology and English & Comparative Literature with a concentration in Science, Medicine, and Literature, in addition to Chemistry. On campus, Olivia serves as the President of Recreational Women’s Lacrosse and Vice President of UNC Club Tennis. Olivia volunteers in the Pediatric Playroom of the UNC Children’s hospital and with Special Olympics Tennis. As a student, Olivia is a member of Honors Carolina, Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society, and has been recognized on the Dean’s list each semester at Carolina. Olivia aspires to become a physician scientist and works as a student researcher in Dr. Misty Good’s lab studying necrotizing enterocolitis, an inflammatory disease in premature infants.

    Olivia is also currently working on an accessible campus project in her disability studies class to increase physical classroom accessibility on campus. Olivia ran Eve Carson’s memorial 5K her freshman year and became inspired by Eve’s work at Carolina. Olivia’s favorite quote by Eve that drives her work on campus is “we seek to be great, but always remember to be good.” In her free time, Olivia loves to cheer on the heels at sporting events across campus.

  • Sanath Yeduri

    Sanath is a current senior from Cary, NC and is studying Nutrition Science & Research, Medical & Biological Physics, and Chemistry. He is an Honors Carolina student and undergraduate researcher at the UNC School of Medicine, investigating the cGAS protein's role in triggering cell death in specific viruses, with the potential to use this understanding for developing vaccines. He is on track to be published on two research papers.

    As a Richard Epps Emerging Leadership Scholar, Sanath gained vital skills for UNC's campus leadership and later joined the Department of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in UNC's executive branch. There he addressed food insecurity, particularly in areas like South Campus by expanding food options at places like Ram's Head Market and advocated housing concerns for diverse students with UNC housing. Sanath, is also an executive member of UNC's Food Recovery Network club, where he helped establish a recurring donation program with the campus dining hall, collecting unsold items weekly to deliver to a community kitchen in Carrboro. Outside of UNC, Sanath works with Anuraag Foundation, leading discussions on mental health and fundraising for mentally challenged children in India.

  • Zach Mangel

    Zach is a current senior from Cleveland, OH studying Environmental Health Science. He is a nationally certified EMT and is the Vice President of the UNC Club Hockey Team. As VP,  he overseas all operations of the team, including managing the team’s $150,000 budget, fundraising, ice time reservations, travel logistics, hiring a new coach, and working closely with the team’s booster club. When not on the ice, Zach is also active in research. He is the first author of two projects, Development and Evaluation of Low-Cost Incubator for Testing Microbial Contamination of Water and Trauma Support Network and Risk Factors; the first of which will be submitted to the PLOS Water Journal. He is also engaged in a new research project, An Analysis of Baby Food and Formula for Heavy Metals and other Emerging Contaminants, that will become his senior honor thesis.

    Zach is also an Honors Carolina student and an Orthopedic and Trauma Nursing Unit Volunteer, acting as a liaison to nurses by communicating medical requests while rounding on patients and providing them with anything that will make their hospital stay better to ensure the highest possible standard of care. 

Class of 2024 Scholars

  • Britney Hong

    Hometown: Cary, NC

    Majors: Human Development and Family Science at UNC School of Education & American Studies

  • Daniel Zhong

    Hometown: Cary, NC

    Major: Biostatistics

    Minor: Business Administration

  • Brooke Chow

    Hometown: Cary, NC

    Major: Business Administration

  • Güzin Karagöz

    Hometown: Istanbul, Turkey

    Major: Political Science & Contemporary European Studies

    Minor: Data Science

  • Ferras Dahnoun

    Hometown: Raleigh, NC

    Major: Computer Science

  • Ogugua Nwaezeigwe

    Hometown: Charleston, SC

    Major: Psychology

    Minor: Entrepreneurship