Current Bryan Fellowships

2024 fellowships

FlowForward

Cynthia Tran
Jennifer Tran
Boris Torres
Tammy Yu

FlowForward strives to enhance menstrual equity at UNC-Chapel Hill by providing free menstrual product dispensers in key restroom locations. By partnering with the company Aunt Flow, FlowForward aims to replace the existing 25-cent period product dispensers found around campus with accessible, organic cotton-product dispensers. FlowForward not only facilitates immediate access but also advocates for a long-term strategy to ensure consistent supply by addressing economic disparities. Through education and reduced menstrual stigma, FlowForward hopes to foster a more inclusive, health-conscious campus environment, and promote equity.

Focus Analytics – Africa

Jim Appiah

Focus Analytics, based in Ghana, Africa, offers free digital education programs in data analytics and advanced machine learning, partnering with a colleague in Germany. With over 90 students applying for these free courses, the project equips learners with essential skills and provides pathways to internships both locally and internationally. By addressing youth unemployment, Focus Analytics acknowledges the critical role of data analytics and machine learning expertise in fostering sustainable employment and economic growth in the region.

LMNOP (Language, Music, N’ Our Peeps)

Sophie Liu
McKenna Brunick
Maddie Peronto

LMNOP is a therapeutic-based program for kids aged 0-7 coordinated through GiGi’s Playhouse, a Down syndrome achievement center. The objectives are practicing basic ASL to support language development, increasing vocabulary, and augmenting key elementary and pre-school skills such as following directions and social interaction with peers by using music, stories, and interactive play. This is to supplement existing school education and address the special needs of kids with Down syndrome as well as connecting parents with outside resources and the community.

Minority Assembly of Psychological Support (MAPS)

Mairui Li
Yue Song
Viola Liu
Valery Liu

In the wake of a tragic gun incident involving two Chinese members of the UNC community, our team found the critical gap in mental health support within the UNC campus’s international community. Our mission is laser-focused on providing specialized mental health support to Chinese, Pan-Asian, and other minority groups through a creative, comprehensive, and artistic solution. We aim not to build a support group, but a comprehensive support system. Here at MAPS is where minority students find mental direction to a bright future at UNC.

Pranam (“Life Force”): Indic Inspired Medical Advocacy Organization

Arushi Ramaka
Srinithi Raj
Lahari Kammanadiminti

New research and interdisciplinary exploration are increasingly revealing the benefits of combining aspects of Ayurveda and Yoga with modern medicine. However, the branding of these cultural practices as “alternative medicine” stigmatizes many immigrant communities who practice these, causing a communication gap that is detrimental to the doctor-patient relationship. Our aim is to practice “narrative medicine” by bringing together clinicians, patients, and community members to examine to improve cross-cultural communication, and reflect on elements of healthy doctor-patient relationships.

SPROUT Nutrition

Pranathi Reddy Dandu
Bridget Lin
Justin Wang
Tim Jamison

SPROUT Nutrition is a project that aims to provide comprehensive nutrition education to our local community in a way that will introduce conscious dietary practices and help community members build long-term healthy eating habits. Their central objective is to equip locals, especially children and families, with the knowledge they need to eat healthily and to do so in a way that makes eating nutritious meals enjoyable. Countless individuals and families grapple with the challenge of making sound dietary choices for overall nutritional well-being, an issue that is exacerbated for those facing financial insecurity. Through a user-friendly website with budget-friendly recipes, meal cards, and informative nutritional sessions, SPROUT Nutrition hopes to increase access to nutritious food and empower the community with the knowledge and resources necessary to utilize these ingredients effectively.