This spring, the inaugural class of Morehead-Cain Global Fellows will conclude their year at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This miniseries of the Catalyze podcast highlights members of the first class, featuring global fellows from Nigeria, Turkey, and India.

In this episode, Aadya Gattu ’28 of the Scholar Media Team speaks with Morehead-Cain Global Fellow Disha Parasu ’26 about her journey to Carolina, her experiences in the program, and how the year will inform her future impact.

About the guest

Dishais a computer science student at the Vellore Institute of Technology – Chennai specializing in AI and machine learning. She is a core member of Quantumplators, where she explores quantum algorithms and cryptography applications. A Womanium Scholar and participant in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Interdisciplinary Quantum Hackathon, Parasu is passionate about integrating quantum computing with AI to enhance cybersecurity. She is also the founder of Collective Qubits, a student-led startup dedicated to raising awareness of quantum computing around the world. Inspired by UNC–Chapel Hill’s ethos of giving back and lifting others forward, she makes Collective Qubits events free for Carolina students, ensuring that access to quantum education remains open and inclusive. She also helped launch a neighborhood library to bridge generational gaps through the sharing of books and aims to drive innovation in quantum research and digital safety.

About the Morehead-Cain Global Fellows program

The Morehead-Cain Global Fellows program identifies, invests in, and empowers emerging leaders who seek to positively shape communities across the world. Global fellows pursue a fully funded year of undergraduate study and research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

During their time at Carolina, global fellows engage in rigorous academics, immersive research, and meaningful cross-cultural exchange. The program includes funded travel within the United States, personal coaching from Morehead-Cain advisers, and yearlong leadership development designed to strengthen purpose, confidence, and impact. Global fellows return home with world-class research experience, an international network, and the skills to lead with clarity and purpose.

Are you ready to step forward and shape the world for the better? Learn more at global.moreheadcain.org.

Music credits

The episode’s intro song is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on social media @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

It’s been nearly three years since the Morehead-Cain Foundation launched the Sophomore Selection process. The program was established to identify second-year students at Carolina who demonstrate exceptional scholarship, leadership, and character.

This year marks a historic milestone: the first class of Sophomore Selection scholars will graduate this May from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. These fifteen scholars joined the Morehead-Cain Program in fall 2023.

In this episode, host Oni Terrado ’27 sits down with William Cook ’26 of Nashville, Tennessee, to reflect on the experiences that have informed his vision of leadership, from job shadowing at a Nashville lumberyard to founding the Human Flourishing Initiative at Carolina, working with entrepreneurs in South African townships, and joining an industrial crane services startup in Chicago.

Sophomores are nominated through Morehead-Cain’s network of campus partners, including professors, department heads, teaching assistants, and staff from scholarship, service, extracurricular, and cultural programs. Morehead-Cain invites nominees to apply early in the fall semester. Learn more about the Sophomore Selection process.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on social media @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

It’s been nearly three years since the Morehead-Cain Foundation launched the Sophomore Selection process. The program was established to identify second-year students at Carolina who demonstrate exceptional scholarship, leadership, and character.

This year marks a historic milestone: the first class of Sophomore Selection scholars will graduate this May from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. These fifteen scholars joined the Morehead-Cain Program in fall 2023.

In this episode, host Oni Terrado ’27 sits down with Clara DiVincenzo ’26 to reflect on her journey as a Morehead-Cain Scholar, from coral reef research and global experiences abroad to professional work with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Clara shares how she embraced the four pillars of the Morehead-Cain Program, navigated challenges, and remained grounded in authenticity throughout her college experience. The scholar is a biology and statistics double major and marine sciences minor.

Sophomores are nominated through Morehead-Cain’s network of campus partners, including professors, department heads, teaching assistants, and staff from scholarship, service, extracurricular, and cultural programs. Morehead-Cain invites nominees to apply early in the fall semester. Learn more about the Sophomore Selection Process.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on social media @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

Randy Chang ’28 delivered a SEVEN Talk at the 2025 Alumni Forum in Chapel Hill on October 19. Randy is a mathematics and politics double major at Carolina.

About SEVEN Talks

Every class of Morehead-Cain Scholars connects with seven others: the three classes ahead, its own, and the three that follow. The idea of SEVEN is to strengthen connections across generations of Morehead-Cains.

The Alumni Forum embodies this spirit through SEVEN Talks—seven alumni and scholars on Saturday, and seven more on Sunday—each sharing seven minutes of wisdom with the Morehead-Cain community.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on social media @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

Niman Mann ’18 delivered a SEVEN Talk at the 2025 Alumni Forum in Chapel Hill on October 19. Niman works in strategic finance at Zipline.

About SEVEN Talks

Every class of Morehead-Cain Scholars connects with seven others: the three classes ahead, its own, and the three that follow. The idea of SEVEN is to strengthen connections across generations of Morehead-Cains.

The Alumni Forum embodies this spirit through SEVEN Talks—seven alumni and scholars on Saturday, and seven more on Sunday—each sharing seven minutes of wisdom with the Morehead-Cain community.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on social media @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

Welcome to Kickin’ It in the Kitchen, a miniseries by the Catalyze podcast that explores the transformative summers of the Morehead-Cain Program. In the Professional Experience summer, scholars begin to explore the transition from Carolina to the working world by pursuing a professional internship.

In this episode, host Aadya Gattu ’28 of the Scholar Media Team speaks with Wehazit Mussie ’26, a pre-dental history and medical anthropology major, about her nearly two-month internship with the Clinton Health Access Initiative in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

As a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning intern, Wehazit supported documentation, communications, and data analytics efforts across multiple program areas while collaborating closely with Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health.

Originally from Eritrea with family ties to Ethiopia, Wehazit reflects on the personal dimension of her professional experience, including reunions with relatives and visiting places her parents once lived. Their conversation explores how her academic interests in history and medical anthropology intersect with data-driven public health work, what surprised her about the role, and how being in Ethiopia added unique global perspective to her Professional Experience.

Music credits

The episode’s intro song is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcastsor Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on social media @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

Ray Sawyer ’13 delivered a SEVEN Talk at the 2025 Alumni Forum in Chapel Hill on October 19. Ray is the chief innovation officer at Primo Partners.

About SEVEN Talks

Every class of Morehead-Cain Scholars connects with seven others: the three classes ahead, its own, and the three that follow. The idea of SEVEN is to strengthen connections across generations of Morehead-Cains.

The Alumni Forum embodies this spirit through SEVEN Talks—seven alumni and scholars on Saturday, and seven more on Sunday—each sharing seven minutes of wisdom with the Morehead-Cain community.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on social media @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

Welcome to Kickin’ It in the Kitchen, a miniseries by the Catalyze podcast that explores the transformative summers of the Morehead-Cain Program. In the Global Perspective summer, scholars design their own journeys around the globe to dig into areas of personal interest, whether academic or professional.

In this episode, host Aadya Gattu ’28 of the Scholar Media Team sits down with Raina Sohur ’27 about how she crafted a summer spanning three distinct experiences across Mauritius, Southern France, and Paris.

Raina completed her RYT200 yoga certification in the French countryside, interned at a prominent law firm’s Supreme Court Litigation division in Mauritius where she navigated a bilingual office environment and accompanied lawyers to trial, and explored Paris through the lens of the Mauritian diaspora.

Their conversation delves into the intentional planning behind balancing professional development with personal growth, choosing meaningful locations, and building connections in both familiar and unfamiliar places. Raina opens up about the challenges of designing such an ambitious summer and shares the lessons she carried home about cultural identity, professional exploration, and pushing beyond comfort zones.

Music credits

The episode’s intro song is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcastsor Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on social media @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.