graphic with global learning participants

Global Impact Fellows

Overview

The Global Impact Fellows Program (formerly the Global Education for All Fellows) is a one-year commitment to leading or assisting a student-led initiative that addresses a global+local issue where students can hone project management, leadership and specific technical skills in an environment where they have real autonomy. The Fellows' work supports a campus-wide initiative of Global Education for All that aims to help every UC Davis student increase their ability to collaborate effectively and equitably across cultural and geographic boundaries.

Fellows will have opportunities to connect and collaborate with other globally-minded students, network with leadership in Global Affairs and across the UC Davis campus, and build leadership skills. The Fellows program is comprised of a mix of undergraduate, graduate and professional students from different fields of study.

The 2024-25 Global Impact Fellows application is now open. Apply. Deadline: May 14, 2024.

Who are the Global Impact Fellows?

Global Impact Fellows are students of any academic level interested in supporting initiatives that benefit other UC Davis students and the greater Davis community, while also addressing a global issue connected to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Global Impact Fellows are interested in devoting time an energy to global learning right here on campus in a team setting and developing their project management skills for future professional endeavors.

Program Benefits

  • Training in project management and understanding the Theory of Change model.
  • Opportunity to collaborate with students outside of typical field of study on a project that addresses a global+local issue.
  • No-cost global learning opportunity based on campus.
  • Introduction to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
  • Mentorship from specially selected faculty and staff members.
  • Personalized LinkedIn recommendation from Global Affairs Leadership.

Program Description

This program runs during the academic year from the Fall Quarter to the following Spring Quarter. Applicants can apply to the program as either a Project Lead or Project Participant. If applying as a project lead, the applicant must also submit a project proposal (new or ongoing).

All Global Impact Fellows will:

  • Self-coordinate their project work with some guidance from an assigned mentor and the program coordinator.
  • Attend a minimum of one program workshop per quarter that supports project work.
  • Complete a Theory of Change deliverable with project team members.
  • Attend project check-in meetings at least once per quarter with the Global Impact Fellows program coordinator.

Global Impact Fellows can expect to spend a minimum of 20 hour/quarter on program deliverables and project work over the course of the academic year, dependent on the needs of the project and program requirements.

Student-Led Project Criteria

Students who apply as a Project Lead must also submit a project proposal. Projects supported by the Global Impact Fellows program must:

  • Articulate a goal or outcome that ties into at least one of the UC Davis Global Learning Outcomes and at least one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
  • Be designed in such a way that it impacts not only the students participating in the project, but also other UC Davis students and/or the greater UCD community including community partners and collaborators.
  • Be completely student-led, with as-needed guidance from a faculty or staff mentor and accountability check-ins from the assigned Program Coordinator.
  • With guidance from the Program Coordinator once the program has started, work with project team to submit an articulated Theory of Change.

Examples of Past/Current Projects

Global Aggies Near and Far Podcast

Dedicated to promoting cultural literacy and international collaboration through a student-created podcast, this team fosters global education and connection at UC Davis by creating a virtual space for UC Davis students, faculty, staff, and community members to share international and national experiences and research. Opportunities are available for students to learn about podcast production and create podcasts available to the public that showcase diverse cultural backgrounds and different UC Davis student experiences. Podcast episodes are available on SpotifyApple Podcasts, and Stitcher.

Blog Spotlight: Melody Sie, a recent UC Davis graduate in international relations, reflects on what she gained from the Global Education for All Fellows program and her role with the Aggies Near and Far podcast. Read Melody's "My Global Learning" blog post.
Student Farming Around the World

In partnership with Katharina Ullman, director of the Student Farm in the Agricultural Sustainability Institute at UC Davis, student participating in this project are sparking global conversations among student farmers at UC Davis, Universidade Estadual de Maringá - Núcleo de e Desenvolvimento Sustentável in Brazil, Universidad de Talca in Chile, and Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Morocco. The aim is to advance a global network of student-led farms and gardens, cultivating passion for sustainable agriculture, sharing knowledge, and making friends around the world—all while empowering students. Additionally, there is a goal to raise awareness and provide opportunities for students to engage with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This team is in the process of organizing their 2nd annual Global Student Farm Symposium and hopes to coordinate more with faculty members to create additional opportunities for engagement between students from all partner universities.

One Health Symposiums

This team successfully designed, planned, and implemented a student-led session for the UC Davis One Health Symposium in 2021, which focused on innovations, issues, and themes impacting the health of animals, people, plants, and the environment. Next for this team is planning for the 2024 symposium.

Resources for International Students who are Teaching Assistants

This project works to understand the challenges faced by international graduate student TAs at UC Davis. As parts of the project, students organize mentored discussion events and maintain an online resource (with a focus, this year, on mental health).

Group of students standing in front of the UC Davis International Center.
The 2019-20 UC Davis Global Education for All Fellows outside the International Center on campus.

Past Global Education for All Fellows

  • 2023-24 Global Education for All Fellows
  • Student Leaders

    Anca Barcu, Ph.D. student, Horticulture and Agronomy graduate group
    Jannet Torres Espinoza, Ph.D. student, Spanish and Portuguese
    Elmira Louie, Ph.D. student, Comparative Literature
    Sudikshya Bhandari, Ph.D student, Geography graduate group
    Rawlings Lyle, M.D. student, School of Medicine

    Fellows

    Jenny Zhao, undergraduate student, International Relations
    Maggie Bauer, undergraduate student, Global Disease Biology
    Max Gibson, Ph.D. student, Music Composition and Theory
    Mingrui Ren, Ph.D. student, Comparative Literature
    Natalia Marin, undergraduate student, Psychology and Education
    Phuong Anh Cao, graduate student, Chemistry
    Sara de Blas Hernandez, Ph.D. student, Spanish Linguistics
    Sean Garcia, DVM student, Veterinary Medicine
    William Evans, graduate student, Energy Systems
    Claris Nyuysoni, graduate student, Earth and Planetary Science
    Evie White, undergraduate student, International Relations and Communication
    Mili Adhikari, M.D. student, School of Medicine
    Sandy Xie, undergraduate student, Sustainable Environmental Design

  • 2022-23 Global Education for All Fellows
  • Student Leaders

    Anca Barcu, M.S. student, horticulture and agronomy, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
    Audrey Geise, Ph.D. student, soils and biogeochemistry, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
    Wendon Song, undergraduate student, computer science, College of Letters and Science

    Fellows

    Mili Adhikari, M.D. student, School of Medicine
    Alice Atiegar, undergraduate student, neurobiology physiology and behavior, College of Biological Sciences
    Sudikshya Bhandari, Ph.D. student, geography, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
    Jinguang Chai, undergraduate student, mathematics, College of Letters and Sciences
    Esther DeLozier, Ph.D. student, ethnomusicology, College of Letters and Sciences
    Benjamin Ruilin Fong, Ph.D. student, comparative literature, College of Letters and Sciences
    Jacob Hagelberg, Ph.D. student, cultural studies, College of Letters and Sciences
    Rafiur Rahman Khan, M.S. student, transportation studies, College of Engineering
    Gabi Kirk, Ph.D. student, geography, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
    Audrey Luo, undergraduate student, neurobiology physiology and behavior, College of Biological Sciences
    Rawlings Lyle, M.D. student, School of Medicine
    Evan Pearson, undergraduate student, international relations, College of Letters and Science
    Erika Richter, M.D. student, School of Medicine
    Trisha Talla, undergraduate student, biochemistry and molecular biology, College of Biological Sciences
    Johanna Vega-Garcia, Ph.D. student, education, School of Education
    Aniriddha Wakchaura, MBA student, Graduate School of Management
    Felicia Yen, B.S., cell biology '20, College of Biological Sciences

  • 2021-22 Global Education for All Fellows
  • Student Leaders

    Kavya Achyutuni, undergraduate student, pharmaceutical chemistry, College of Letters and Sciences
    Irina Chukhray, Ph.D. student, sociology, College of Letters and Sciences
    Patrick Cunningham, Ph.D. student, civil and environmental engineering, College of Engineering
    Esther DeLozier, Ph.D. student, ethnomusicology, College of Letters and Sciences
    Alina Kajley, undergraduate student, global disease biology, College of Biological Sciences
    Nadia Moukanni, Ph.D. student, soils and biogeochemistry, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

    Fellows

    Pratibha Agarwal, M.S. student, computer science, College of Letters and Sciences
    Haley Ali, undergraduate student, cell biology, College of Biological Sciences
    Anca Barcu, M.S. student, horticulture and agronomy, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
    Jinguang Chai, undergraduate student, mathematics, College of Letters and Sciences
    Charles “Kiki” Crawford, Ph.D. student, molecular, cellular, and integrative physiology, College of Biological Sciences
    Audrey Geise, Ph.D. student, soils and biogeochemistry, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
    Andressa Vidigal Rosenberg, Ph.D. student, musicology, College of Letters and Sciences
    Esra Hawsawi, undergraduate student, materials science and engineering, College of Engineering
    Kate Johnson, undergraduate student, general statistics, College of Letters and Sciences
    Akshaya Karthikeyan, undergraduate student, cell biology, College of Biological Sciences
    Stacy Kim, DVM student, School of Veterinary Medicine
    Charlene Lujan Vega, Ph.D. student, pharmacology and toxicology, College of Biological Sciences and College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
    Sophia Mares de Juan, undergraduate student, international relations and sociology, College of Letters and Sciences
    Ben Mattison, Ph.D. student, biomedical engineering, College of Engineering
    Marina Mautner, Ph.D. student, hydrologic sciences, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
    Carolina Minami Oguchi, Ph.D. student, computer science, College of Letters and Sciences
    Isabelle Pai, Ph.D. student, psychology, College of Letters and Sciences
    Lena Ray, undergraduate student, biochemical engineering, College of Engineering
    Jessica Rudder, Ph.D. student, agricultural resource economics, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
    Melody Sie, undergraduate student, international relations, College of Letters and Sciences
    Mandeep Singh Basson, Ph.D. student, civil and environmental engineering, College of Engineering
    Wendong Song, undergraduat student, undeclared major
    Johanna Vega-Garcia, Ph.D. student, School of Education
    Felicia Yen, B.S., '20, cell biology, College of Biological Science

  • 2020-21 Global Education for All Fellows
  • Student Leaders

    Kavya Achyutuni, undergraduate student, pharmaceutical chemistry, College of Letters and Sciences
    Irina Chukhray, Ph.D. student, sociology, College of Letters and Sciences
    Patrick Cunningham, Ph.D. student, civil and environmental engineering, College of Engineering
    Esther DeLozier, Ph.D. student, ethnomusicology, College of Letters and Sciences
    Alina Kajley, undergraduate student, global disease biology, College of Biological Sciences
    Nadia Moukanni, Ph.D. student, soils and biogeochemistry, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

    Fellows

    Pratibha Agarwal, M.S. student, computer science, College of Letters and Sciences
    Haley Ali, undergraduate student, cell biology, College of Biological Sciences
    Anca Barcu, M.S. student, horticulture and agronomy, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
    Jinguang Chai, undergraduate student, mathematics, College of Letters and Sciences
    Charles “Kiki” Crawford, Ph.D. student, molecular, cellular, and integrative physiology, College of Biological Sciences
    Audrey Geise, Ph.D. student, soils and biogeochemistry, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
    Andressa Vidigal Rosenberg, Ph.D. student, musicology, College of Letters and Sciences
    Esra Hawsawi, undergraduate student, materials science and engineering, College of Engineering
    Kate Johnson, undergraduate student, general statistics, College of Letters and Sciences
    Akshaya Karthikeyan, undergraduate student, cell biology, College of Biological Sciences
    Stacy Kim, DVM student, School of Veterinary Medicine
    Charlene Lujan Vega, Ph.D. student, pharmacology and toxicology, College of Biological Sciences and College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
    Sophia Mares de Juan, undergraduate student, international relations and sociology, College of Letters and Sciences
    Ben Mattison, Ph.D. student, biomedical engineering, College of Engineering
    Marina Mautner, Ph.D. student, hydrologic sciences, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
    Carolina Minami Oguchi, Ph.D. student, computer science, College of Letters and Sciences
    Isabelle Pai, Ph.D. student, psychology, College of Letters and Sciences
    Lena Ray, undergraduate student, biochemical engineering, College of Engineering
    Jessica Rudder, Ph.D. student, agricultural resource economics, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
    Melody Sie, undergraduate student, international relations, College of Letters and Sciences
    Mandeep Singh Basson, Ph.D. student, civil and environmental engineering, College of Engineering
    Wendong Song, undergraduat student, undeclared major
    Johanna Vega-Garcia, Ph.D. student, School of Education
    Felicia Yen, B.S., '20, cell biology, College of Biological Science

  • 2019-20 Global Education for All Fellows
  • Student Leaders

    Nehal Jain, undergraduate student, managerial economics and design, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, College of Letters and Science 
    Alina Kajley, undergraduate student, global disease biology, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
    Paul Kasemsap, Ph.D. student, horticulture and agronomy, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

    Fellows

    Kavya Achyutuni, undergraduate student, biochemistry and molecular biology, College of Biological Sciences
    Marielle Berman, MBA student, Graduate School of Management
    Balvinder Chand, undergraduate student, sustainable environmental design, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
    Irina Chukhray, Ph.D. student, sociology, College of Letters and Science
    Patrick Cunningham, Ph.D. student, civil and environmental engineering, College of Engineering
    Esther DeLozier, Ph.D. student, ethnomusicology, College of Letters and Science
    Andressa Goncalves-Vidigal, Ph.D. student, musicology, College of Letters and Science
    Esra Hawsawi, undergraduate student, materials science and engineering, College of Engineering 
    Stacy Kim, DVM student, School of Veterinary Medicine
    Marina Mautner, Ph.D. student, hydrologic sciences, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
    Nadia Moukanni, Ph.D. student, soils and biogeochemistry, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
    Adebola “Bola” Olarewaju, Ph.D. student, Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing
    Nahrain Rasho, Ph.D. student, political science, College of Letters and Science
    David Soltero, undergraduate student, Chicana/o studies and English, College of Letters and Science
    Hasitha Tumu, undergraduate student, applied physics, College of Letters and Science
    Johanna Vega-Garcia, Ph.D. student, School of Education
    Felicia Yen, undergraduate student, cell biology, College of Biological Sciences
    Marwa Zafarullah, Ph.D. student, integrative genetics and genomics, College of Biological Sciences

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