Meet the Class of 2024 Paul & Daisy Soros Fellows
The 2024 Class of Paul & Daisy Soros Fellows is made up of 30 outstanding immigrants and children of immigrants from all over the country and world who are pursuing graduate school here in the United States. Selected from more than 2,300 applicants, each of the recipients was chosen for their potential to make significant contributions to the United States and will receive up to $90,000 in funding over two years.
Interested in applying?
The 2024 Paul & Daisy Soros includes several firsts for the community:
- The first Fellows to have heritage from Portugal, Sierra Leone, and Zimbabwe.
- The first Fellows from undergraduate institutions including the University of Central Florida, University of Montana, University of Wisconsin – Whitewater, Texas State University, and Virginia Commonwealth University.
- The first class of Fellows to include three Filipino Fellows, bringing the total number of Filipino Fellows to ten.
2,323
number of applications received
for the 2024 fellowship
77
number of finalists selected
through a merit-based process
30
outstanding immigrants and children
of immigrants joined Paul & Daisy
Soros Fellowships in 2024
Announcing the 2024 Paul & Daisy Soros Fellows
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Aayush Karan
PhD, Harvard University
Aayush Karan is the child of immigrants from India. Fellowship awarded in 2024 to support work towards a PhD in Quantum Science and Engineering at Harvard University
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Abigail Jiang
PhD, Harvard University
Abigail Jiang is the child of immigrants from China. Fellowship awarded in 2024 to support work towards a PhD in Applied Physics at Harvard University
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Akshay Swaminathan
MD, Stanford University, PhD, Stanford University
Akshay Swaminathan is the child of immigrants from India. Fellowship awarded in 2024 to support work towards an MD and a PhD in Biomedical Data Science at Stanford University
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Ananya Agustin Malhotra
JD, Yale University
Ananya Agustin Malhotra is the child of immigrants from Philippines and India. Fellowship awarded in 2024 to support work towards a JD at Yale University
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Celine Calpo
JD, New York University (NYU)
Celine Calpo is the child of immigrants from Philippines. Fellowship awarded in 2024 to support work towards a JD at New York University (NYU)
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Eugene Lee
PhD, Cornell University
Eugene Lee is an immigrant from South Korea. Fellowship awarded in 2024 to support work towards a PhD in Sociology at Cornell University
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Evelyn Wong
MD, Stanford University, PhD, Stanford University
Evelyn Wong is the child of Teochew-Vietnamese refugees. Fellowship awarded in 2024 to support work towards an MD and a PhD in Biophysics at Stanford University
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Francisca Vasconcelos
PhD, University of California, Berkeley
Francisca Vasconcelos is the child of immigrants from Portugal. Fellowship awarded in 2024 to support work towards a PhD in Computer Science at University of California, Berkeley
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Geronimo Bejarano
PhD, Brown University
Geronimo Bejarano is an immigrant from Colombia. Fellowship awarded in 2024 to support work towards a PhD in Health Services Research at Brown University
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Hannah Keziah Agustin
MFA, New York University (NYU)
Hannah Keziah Agustin is an immigrant from Philippines. Fellowship awarded in 2024 to support work towards an MFA in Literary Reportage at New York University (NYU)
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James Occean
PhD, Stanford University
James Occean is an immigrant from Haiti. Fellowship awarded in 2024 to support work towards a PhD in Cancer Biology at Stanford University
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Keerthana Hogirala
MBA, University of Chicago, MPP, University of Chicago
Keerthana Hogirala is an immigrant from India. Fellowship awarded in 2024 to support work towards an MBA in Business Administration and an MPP in Public Policy at University of Chicago
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Kristine Guillaume
PhD, Yale University
Kristine Guillaume is the child of immigrants from Haiti and the Philippines Fellowship awarded in 2024 to support work towards a PhD in English and African American Studies at Yale University
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Kyaw Hsan Hlaing
PhD, Cornell University
Kyaw Hsan Hlaing is an immigrant from Myanmar. Fellowship awarded in 2024 to support work towards a PhD in Political Science at Cornell University
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Leslie Ponce-Diaz
MArch II, Harvard University
Leslie Ponce-Diaz is the child of immigrants from Mexico. Fellowship awarded in 2024 to support work towards an MArch II in Architecture at Harvard University
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Michael E. Xie
MD, Johns Hopkins University, PhD, Johns Hopkins University
Michael E. Xie is the child of immigrants from China. Fellowship awarded in 2024 to support work towards an MD and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University
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Michael Yusov
PhD, California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
Michael Yusov is the child of immigrants from Russia. Fellowship awarded in 2024 to support work towards a PhD in Chemical Engineering at California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
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Min Jae Kim
MD, University of Pennsylvania, PhD, University of Pennsylvania
Min Jae Kim is an immigrant from South Korea. Fellowship awarded in 2024 to support work towards an MD and a PhD in Neuroscience at University of Pennsylvania
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Minjung Kim
PhD, Northwestern University
Minjung Kim is an immigrant from South Korea. Fellowship awarded in 2024 to support work towards a PhD in Chemistry at Northwestern University
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Pablo Mejia
MFA, New York University (NYU)
Pablo Mejia is the child of immigrants from Mexico. Fellowship awarded in 2024 to support work towards an MFA in Film at New York University (NYU)
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Rana Thabata
JD, University of Michigan
Child of immigrants from Palestine Fellowship awarded in 2024 to support work towards a JD in Law at University of Michigan
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Riyam Al Msari
PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Riyam Al Msari is an immigrant from Iraq. Fellowship awarded in 2024 to support work towards a PhD in Biological Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
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Russell Legate-Yang
PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Russell Legate-Yang is the child of immigrants from Canada and China. Fellowship awarded in 2024 to support work towards a PhD in Economics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
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Ruva Chigwedere
MFA, University of California, San Diego
Ruva Chigwedere is an immigrant from Zimbabwe. Fellowship awarded in 2024 to support work towards an MFA in Acting at University of California, San Diego
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Saidu Tejan-Thomas Jr.
MFA, New York University (NYU)
Saidu Tejan-Thomas Jr. is an immigrant from Sierra Leone. Fellowship awarded in 2024 to support work towards an MFA in Acting at New York University (NYU)
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Sara Bobok
JD, Stanford University, MA, Stanford University
Sara Bobok is an immigrant from Hungary. Fellowship awarded in 2024 to support work towards a JD and an MA in Education at Stanford University
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Sharon Loa
MD, Stanford University, PhD, Stanford University
Sharon Loa is an immigrant from Peru. Fellowship awarded in 2024 to support work towards an MD and a PhD in Cancer Biology at Stanford University
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Shubhayu Bhattacharyay
MD, Harvard University
Shubhayu Bhattacharyay is an immigrant from India. Fellowship awarded in 2024 to support work towards an MD at Harvard University
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Yuno Iwasaki
PhD, University of California, Berkeley
Yuno Iwasaki is an immigrant from Japan. Fellowship awarded in 2024 to support work towards a PhD in Physics at University of California, Berkeley
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Zijian Niu
PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Zijian Niu is an immigrant from China. Fellowship awarded in 2024 to support work towards a PhD in Computational and Systems Biology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Announcements
The Application for 2025 is now open
The 2025 application is open. Are you a New American who will be 30 or younger as of October 31, 2024, and who will be in graduate school full-time for the 2025-2026 academic year? Check out our eligibility requirements, learn about the Fellowships, and apply by October 31, 2024.
Apply By
October 26, 2024
Interviews with Finalists
February 2025
Winners Notified
March 2025
2025 Fellows Announced
Mid-April, 2025
2025 Fellowship Begins