Emory’s newest Woodruff Scholars bring extensive academic achievements, leadership and service

Emory welcomes 24 talented, high-achieving students from around the globe to its Atlanta and Oxford campuses this fall as recipients of the university’s top merit award, the Robert W. Woodruff Scholarship.

The incoming cohort includes five Woodruff Music Scholars; three Woodruff Debate Scholars; three Martin Luther King Woodruff Scholars from metro Atlanta; and two international scholars from Kazakhstan and Romania. 

The Woodruff scholarship honors the vision of the former Coca-Cola Company president who endowed the university with a then-record $105 million in 1979, in part to draw Ivy League-bound students to Emory instead.

The program covers the full cost of an undergraduate education for recipients, who are selected based on their academic achievements, character and significant leadership and community engagement efforts. 

“Our new scholars have already demonstrated their dedication to academic excellence and public service,” says James Nagy, dean of Emory College of Arts and Sciences. “I am looking forward to meeting and supporting them as they grow and develop their skills and talents in ways that energize our campus and community.” 

Incoming scholars cite the interdisciplinary strengths, opportunities to conduct influential research and access to faculty and students who challenge their intellect as key factors in choosing Emory.

Artem Lavrentyev of Almaty, Kazakhstan, was drawn to Emory because of its strong public health programs and location, which offers an urban experience on a suburban campus.

He plans to apply his experience working in artificial intelligence to study both data science and human health at Emory. Having created an AI tool to help rural hospitals detect skin disease, he plans to further develop technology that expands healthcare access.

“I’d like to get involved with research at the Emory Empathetic AI for Health Institute,” Lavrentyev says. “Honestly, I’m most excited to finally get to the U.S. and look forward to getting to know everyone there.”

Including this year’s cohort, the scholarship has recognized 936 students since its inception. The program also provides recipients with access to unique programming and opportunities for independent research and networking, including with Woodruff alumni.

Incoming Woodruff Debate Scholar Campbell Hight plans to follow a path of competitive debate and major in public policy and analysis. She also wants to explore opportunities at The Carter Center and Emory’s Center for Ethics as well as arts opportunities on campus and in Atlanta.

Hight arrived at Emory in mid-August — only her second visit to campus — to attend a Barkley Forum debate team retreat before orientation. Although she had to lug her bags across campus after checking in, the experience left her confident about Emory.

“At least four different students stopped and asked if I knew where I was going and if I needed help,” says Hight, who admits she stubbornly declined each offer. “That was a really, really good first impression.”

That tight-knit feeling is especially noticeable at Emory’s original campus in Oxford, Georgia. Four of the Scholars will start their journey at Oxford College, including Niamh Carmichael.

Carmichael arrives from Charleston, South Carolina, as a 2026 YoungArts Writing/Fiction Winner with Distinction. The honor helped her develop a network with other young artists that she hopes to expand through an English-creative writing major and workshops with award-winning faculty such as Jericho Brown, Hank Klibanoff and Tayari Jones. 

“There isn’t a subject I don’t like,” says Carmichael, who is equally excited about a first-year seminar on ethical issues in fiction and the potential to explore higher-level math courses. “I am thrilled about the idea of choosing what I learn and tailoring coursework to my interests.” 

The Oxford College Woodruff Scholars bring with them an impressive range of experiences, ideas, interests and ambitions, says Oxford College Dean Molly McGehee.

“Their willingness to engage deeply in learning opportunities, to participate fully in co-curricular activities, to lead with purpose and open-mindedness, and to embrace the liberal arts will enrich our entire community,” McGehee says. “I am excited to see how the Woodruff Scholars challenge themselves, inspire those around them and make Oxford their own.” 

Meet the latest Woodruff Scholars

Members of the Emory Scholars Class of 2030 have extensive academic achievements and cite diverse interests and a commitment to serving others. All are Woodruff Scholars unless otherwise noted.

Atlanta campus

Akosua Baah, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, is a Martin Luther King, Jr. Woodruff Scholar who served as class secretary and editor-in-chief of her high school newspaper, which she revived her freshman year. She is the founder and president of the Tucker Habitat for Humanity chapter and was a community health researcher with the Linguistic Justice Collaborative. She won a special prize at the International Science and Engineering Fair for sustainability research and spent a summer researching pediatric sickle cell disease at Emory. She plans to pursue a dual degree in chemistry and political science.

Jordan Beer, of Decatur, Georgia, served as her school’s student body president and as a member of the county superintendent’s advisory council. She was captain of the state’s top reading bowl team, captain of the varsity tennis team and founder and president of her school’s Young Democrats chapter. She advanced to national competition for National History Day with her research on wrongful convictions. She plans to pursue her interest in justice and public policy at Emory, with a major in political science and an eye toward law school.

Celine Chang, of Las Vegas, is co-founder and CEO of ReadUp Youth, an international nonprofit focused on increasing literacy rates among underserved youth. She was a student representative on her superintendent’s student advisory council, founded a student-focused civics initiative and authored legislation championed during Nevada’s legislative session. Nationally ranked in speech and debate competitions, she is interested in studying economics and public policy at Emory, with a career advancing national educational equity.

Conrad Flake, of Salt Lake City, is a Woodruff Music Scholar who has played piano around the world and in his local community, including providing free lessons to underserved youth. He also swam and played tennis at his high school, where he founded a triathlon club. He also volunteered and conducted research at Primary Children’s Hospital and the University of Utah. After spending the past two years serving as a missionary for his church in British Columbia, Canada, he now plans a dual major in piano performance and biology at Emory, with a future in the medical field.

Campbell Hight, of Topeka, Kansas, is a Woodruff Debate Scholar who served as president of her school’s Young Democrats chapter and its debate team, with which she won two state championships and received national recognition. She also works with younger students as a tutor and debate mentor. Having conducted political science research at the University of Kansas and served as a poll worker in the last two elections, she is interested in studying political science and history with a goal of a career in policy-focused social work and advocacy.

Oliver Johnston, of Nashville, Tennessee, is a Woodruff Debate Scholar who served as captain of the Montgomery Bell Academy Debate Team, ranked first in the nation, and led his school’s mock trial team, sustainability club and service club. He also wrote a current events blog and studied partisanship in a school-wide voting experiment. At Emory, he plans to remain engaged in debate and public service while studying political science.

Sophia Knudsen, of Alpharetta, Georgia, is a Woodruff Music Scholar who has played violin for more than 13 years and serves as assistant concertmaster for the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra. In addition to founding the Music for Meals benefit concert which helps provide for families in need, she has collaborated with the Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam to develop a prototype to mitigate air pollution from gas stoves and has volunteered as a mentor for developmentally disabled students. She plans to study neuroscience, music and ethics at Emory, with an eye toward becoming a neuropsychologist.

Artem Lavrentyev, of Almaty, Kazakhstan, is a member of Kazakhstan’s national mathematics team and is the creator of MpoxDetection.ai, an artificial intelligence tool used in rural hospitals for skin disease detection. He also served as an AI advisor to the Respublica political party, contributing to several AI-related bills. He plans to study human health and data science at Emory to develop technology that expands access to quality healthcare for underserved communities. 

Akshay Maheshwari, of Cumming, Georgia, founded Naya Magazine, an online media project focused on Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in the arts. He also was an active Model UN leader, where his school’s team placed first and second nationally in international competition for two consecutive years. He led the Young Democrats of Georgia’s Progressive Caucus and served as an intern for Georgia State Senator Kim Jackson while participating on the EducateUS Youth Advisory Board. He plans to study public policy at Emory before pursuing law school.

Katherine Mason, of Atlanta, is a Martin Luther King, Jr. Woodruff Scholar who chronicled a French foreign exchange experience for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She served as captain of her school’s mock trial team and founder of the speech team. She worked as a summer law intern at a top Atlanta firm and was admitted to the Georgia student bar with honors. She plans to major in public policy at Emory.

Savannah Merritt, of Christiana, Tennessee, is a Woodruff Music Scholar who, inspired by her love of choir and mentoring children at her local theater studio, researched modern obstacles that elementary choir teachers face in accommodating students with autism. She also conducted a research project on social disparity in Mali, West Africa. At Emory, she plans to major in international or French studies to continue her humanitarian research and eventually pursue a career in law.

Ethan Nie, of Alpharetta, Georgia, is a Woodruff Music Scholar who serves as principal cellist of the Emory Youth Symphony Orchestra and co-president of the Notes of Joy student service club. He was also a member of his school’s golf team and a published researcher, based on his work in an Emory lab synthesizing PET data from AI scans with AI models. He plans to major in neuroscience and behavioral biology on the pre-med track.

Andrei-Serban Olaru, of Suceava, Romania, is the founder of FinanceFusion Academy, a mobile app dedicated to preventing teen gambling and improving financial literacy. He served as his school’s head of extracurriculars and was a parliamentary volunteer for a local senator. His passion for business and public policy earned him a silver award at the International Business Olympiad. He plans to study business and public policy at Emory and hopes to work in the field of sustainable finance.

Kamil Owoyemi, of Bethesda, Maryland, served as co-chair of his school’s Black History Alliance, started a school composting program, and led campus tours for prospective students and their families while president of his high school’s Student Ambassador Program. A two-time all-conference varsity tennis player with national and state EMT certifications, he also volunteered as an ambulance cadet. He plans to study human health as well as Mandarin, toward a career advancing food as medicine from a physician’s standpoint.

Vishaka Priyan, of Portland, Oregon, served as captain of her school’s mock trial, founded a political spectrum club and holds a record in the girls’ state golf championship. She has worked with child abuse survivors at an evaluation clinic and has helped draft state legislation to expand employment opportunities for youth in foster care. She plans to study philosophy, politics and law at Emory and ultimately pursue a career in child and family law.

Ahana Raghavan, of Folsom, California, founded Woolf’s Torn Pages, a United Nations-recognized social enterprise focused on women’s health that has helped more than 130,000 women globally. She has also published research on the gender pain gap, which was submitted to the FDA’s official regulatory record, and published a book on neurobiology. She plans to study neuroscience and behavioral biology at Emory before attending medical school and becoming an anesthesiologist. 

Aadi Shah, of Alpharetta, Georgia, is a Martin Luther King Woodruff Scholar who served as a Healthcare Pathways leader at his high school, where he also founded the professional networking and neuroscience clubs. He conducted neuromodulation research at Georgetown University, earned semi-finalist honors in the International Neuroscience and Research Olympiad, and earned the Georgia Youth Leadership Award and Gold Presidential Volunteer Service Award for his work with 21st Century Leaders, a statewide leadership development program. He plans to study neuroscience and behavioral biology, as well as public policy, at Emory before pursuing medical school.

Lane Tharp, of Duluth, Georgia, is a Woodruff Debate Scholar who won a state championship and ranked in the top 25 of policy debaters nationally while coaching state title-winning teams. He also participated in the Wharton Global High School Investment Competition and Harvard Crimson Golden Case Competition. At Emory, he plans to study business, economics and philosophy while continuing to debate competitively.

Juan-Sebastian Valencia, of Duluth, Georgia, is a Woodruff Music Scholar and classically trained violinist who has played in the Emory Youth Symphony and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Talent Development Program. Through the use of Monte Carlo particle simulators, he also developed predictive models to analyze how near-light speeds of core electrons alter the chemical and physical properties of undiscovered, theoretical superheavy elements.. He plans to continue his research by studying biophysics and music at Emory.

Maya Virani, of Atlanta, served as president of her school’s Model United Nations Future Health Professions clubs. Virani was an Argumentative Speech Bowl Finalist at Emory and has mentored more than 150 volunteers and planned an annual camp for more than 200 children as a Youth Leadership Facilitator. She tutored recent Afghan immigrants and children in Pakistan and Dubai to promote English literacy. She plans to major in international studies and economics at Emory.

Oxford campus

Niamh Carmichael, of Charleston, South Carolina, served as president of her school’s National Honor Society and volunteered as a first reader on the editorial staff of two literary magazines. She is a 2026 YoungArts Winner, with Distinction in Fiction, multiple Scholastic awards and more than 10 creative writing works published. She also wrote a short fiction collection for her senior thesis. She plans to study English and creative writing.

Joseph Davis, of West Bloomfield, Michigan, has volunteered with immigrants and youth groups in metro Detroit, including teaching beginner karate, while also pursuing interests in piano, psychology and math. He is interested in studying Spanish and taking pre-med courses while at Oxford. 

Andrea Marsh Saldana, of Dalton, Georgia, is passionate about connecting with others, whether through stage performance, community service or her desire to prioritize all perspectives. Her goal is to become a politician who elevates the voices of all people.

Dhruv Veda, of Ellicott City, Maryland, has researched blast traumatic brain injury at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. Veda founded Forest Harmony, which brings nature-based therapy to veterans and communities in metro Baltimore. He plans to study neuroscience and behavioral biology as well as political science, with the goal of becoming a physician who works in both clinical care and policy.