Extraordinary and determined students from across campus are spending 8 weeks during the fall semester as Accelerator Fellows to explore, test and scale up their ideas, projects and ventures while working with peers who are also tackling today’s grand challenges. Throughout the program, Fellows connect and learn from each other, participate in 1:1 coaching sessions with experts, engage in workshops and immerse themselves in various activities with industry leaders. Fellows were selected after a competitive application process and will receive a stipend of $2,000 to support their work over the course of the program.
This semester is proving to be a very busy but productive one as our 19 Fall Do Good Accelerator Fellows are tackling community issues and life at the same time! As usual, our Do Good Accelerator Fellows are working passionately to take their projects to the next level and I always enjoy and admire their passion and look forward to assisting them in their journeys to Do Good.Kisha McNeill Do Good Accelerator Manager
This year, a generous gift from supporters of the School of Public Health is providing funding for three Fellows as part of the Gold Public Health Innovation Accelerator Fellows. Fellows must be in the Do Good Accelerator Fellows program and pursuing public health-related projects. This semester’s Gold Public Health Innovation Fellows are Ebenezer Mensah: Black Star Wellness Initiative, Ibiyinka Amokedo: Aqua Safe, and Nashita Bhuiyan, ShaDo-MD.
Meet the Fall 2024 Accelerator Fellows
Taiwo Rebecca Alawode, NextGen Antimicrobial Stewards Initiative
Ph.D. candidate, Environmental Health Sciences
The NextGen Antimicrobial Stewards Initiative aims to empower Nigerian youths as leaders in antimicrobial stewardship by providing comprehensive education, leadership training and skills to effectively communicate antimicrobial resistance (AMR) health risks. This initiative targets the growing threat of AMR in Nigeria by empowering the next generation of advocates who will champion responsible antibiotic use, drive community-level change and advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal three (good health and well-being).
Ibiyinka Amokedo, Aqua Safe
Ph.D. candidate, Global, Environmental, and Ofccupational Health
AquaSafe is a project that empowers agricultural communities in Tanzania by providing affordable water testing kits and education on water quality management. The goal is to improve crop safety, public health and sustainable agricultural practices by helping farmers monitor and address chemical and microbial contamination in their irrigation water.
Ruka Ayele, RootedMaternity
Senior, Information Science and African American Studies
RootedMaternity is a holistic care initiative based in the Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area focused on addressing the high maternal mortality rate and mistreatment of Black pregnant women. Our project connects Black mothers with culturally competent care providers, such as doulas and midwives, who supervise, support and advocate throughout pregnancy and postpartum. RootedMaternity also includes aftercare services and parent groups, offering comprehensive support for new parents. Additionally, the project aims to inspire young Black women to enter the maternal health and holistic care space, fostering a new generation of culturally aware practitioners dedicated to improving outcomes for Black mothers.
Nashita Bhuiyan, ShaDO-MD
Junior, Computer Science
ShaDO-MD is an educational initiative designed to provide equitable access to shadowing opportunities for premed students. Recognizing that traditional shadowing experiences are often gated by networking, GPA barriers or limited program availability, ShaDO-MD aims to eliminate these hurdles and create a more inclusive environment.
Lidya Demissie, ESSA
Senior, Public Health Sciences
Bridging Communities Through Language aims to provide English tutoring and educational support to underrepresented communities in the local area. By improving language skills, the project seeks to empower individuals with better access to educational and employment opportunities, fostering greater inclusivity and self-sufficiency.
Saraf Anjum Disha, Songjog Connecting People
Master’s candidate, International Security and Economic Policy
Sonjog Connecting People is a nonprofit organization that provides critical aid in Bangladesh. The organization mainly works in the health, education and critical aid sectors. It is a registered NGO in Bangladesh and acts as a charitable organization in the United States.
Rachel Fredman, Ready to Advocate Fellowship - The Arc, PG County
Senior, History and Communications
The Ready to Advocate fellowship program supports young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in collaboration with the Arc of Prince George's County. Twelve fellows are accepted throughout the school year. The goal of the fellowship program is to encourage advocacy, independence, and leadership for fellows by having them engage in various activities within the community (panels, workshops, community service activities, etc.).
Firaol Hailu, Oromo Student Association
Senior, Information Sciences
The Oromo Student Association is focused on providing essential school supplies to under-resourced schools in the Oromia region of Ethiopia. This initiative aims to bridge the gap in educational access by equipping students with the materials they need to succeed academically.
Marilyn Iriarte, CoDesigning Interventions: Support Ethnic-Racial Identity Dev
Ph.D, candidate, Information Studies
CoDesigning Interventions: Support Ethnic-Racial Identity Dev aims to collaborate with Latino youth, their parents and practitioners to create a toolkit that helps adolescents develop their ethnic-racial identity. The organization hopes the toolkit fosters a strong sense of self and purpose, enabling them to transition into adulthood positively and contribute to a diverse U.S. society.
Ebenezer Mensah, Black Star Wellness Initiative/True Community
Ph.D. candidate, Higher Education, Student Affairs, and International Education Policy
The Black Star Wellness Initiative is a program, connected to the nonprofit organization True Community, that provides vital first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills training and other health literacy programs for populations in Ghana. It strives to integrate basic life-saving skills into the foundation of every community in Ghana.
Mason Minus, DSA DEI Mental Health Coordinator
Senior, Government and Politics
The Student Success Mental Health initiative brings students and staff together as a united front and encourages mental health awareness. The project creates a platform for students and staff to be vulnerable and share their perspectives, encouraging unity, solidarity, and vulnerability through the normalization of conversations about mental health illness. The initiative hosts mental health forums for students and staff, final exam study sessions, and launches a play production during Black History Month for all students and staff to attend.
Madiha Rehman, Terrapin Think Tank
Sophomore, Public Policy, Global Health
Terrapin Think Tank is the first policy incubator at the University of Maryland. As a fellow, students have the opportunity to get started on a health justice project. Madiha is developing a multilingual database to provide essential resources for navigating healthcare, tailored to the needs of immigrant populations.
Bryan Rios-Ramirez, Business Beyond Borders
Sophomore, Finance and Accounting
Business Beyond Borders is an organization dedicated to bridging higher education and career opportunity gaps for students from historically underrepresented groups. Its flagship initiative, the High School Enrichment Program, mentors students from Baltimore County and Prince George’s County, equipping them with essential tools for success—whether it’s resume building, LinkedIn use or navigating the college application process.
Rodrigo Sandon, Engauge
Senior, Computer Science
Engauge is a platform transforming the learning experience by addressing one of the biggest challenges in education: engagement in lectures. Students’ disconnect to class content makes it harder for instructors to gain feedback on their learning, making their teaching less effective. Engauge is solving this problem by integrating real-time feedback mechanisms that allow students and instructors to engage dynamically during lectures through data analysis through AI.
Gabrielle Hayashi Santos, Olimpo
Ph.D. candidate, International Education Policy
Olimpo provides career development and job application advising for vulnerable populations in the U.S., helping them navigate the job market, build skills and secure meaningful employment opportunities.
Inaya Siddiqi, Study Buddy
Sophomore, Information Science
Study Buddy is a platform dedicated to addressing the common challenge many college students face: finding study groups. Due to conflicting schedules, anxiety around approaching peers and overwhelmed professors, students often struggle to build collaborative study environments crucial to their academic success. Study Buddy is designed to close this gap by connecting students with study groups based on their learning style, subject and class needs.
Francesca Tchatch, Collaborative Health Education & Outreach
Sophomore, Kinesiology
Collaborative Health Education and Outreach aims to provide pre-health track students at the University of Maryland opportunities to give back to the community and enhance their professional development skills. One of its founding projects is providing health literacy in primary and secondary education in the College Park local community.
Anna Tovchigrechko, UnLocked Project
Junior, Psychology and Criminology and Criminal Justice
The UnLocked Project is dedicated to helping support children of incarcerated students on campus. With more than 5 million children who have experienced parental incarceration in the United States, the UnLocked Project aims to disseminate resources to support the mental health of those students who are in the DMV area. It does this by hosting peer-facilitated support groups for children of incarcerated parents that focus on community and healing, disseminating resources through social media and our website and conducting educational events with speakers.
Muhammad Wali, International Sports Organization
Sophomore, Public Health Sciences
The International Sports Organization aims to create more opportunities for kids to engage in sports and meet new people. Physical activity is vital for physical and mental health, especially compared to time spent on computer and phone screens. International Sports Organization also partners with local organizations, churches, and mosques to provide educational resources and support for families. It assists students in applying to college and students are not charged any fees for their programs and services. Over 200 kids are involved in the programs.