The Hart Leadership Program is pleased to announce the 2026 Fellows for the Service Opportunities in Leadership Program (SOL).
SOL is a nationally recognized, intensive 12-month leadership program for Duke undergraduates who seek to deepen their capacity to build community, address complex social issues, and implement systemic change. What might leadership look like when we begin with community? How are individual lives of commitment to the common good formed and sustained in community with others? Engaging deeply with these questions, the new SOL Fellows will establish a community of practice in their spring gateway course, “Leading In and With Community” (PUBPOL 263S), taught by Professor Alexandra Zagbayou. Together, students will explore the theory and practice of ethical community engagement as well as frameworks for leadership that enable social change to flourish within communities. In the summer months, SOL Fellows will then apply and expand their learning during an immersive internship experience developed in collaboration with a community partner. Returning to campus in the fall, SOL Fellows will reflect on and continue their learning in a capstone course, “Communities of Practice” (PUBPOL 415), taught by Professor Andrew Nurkin. SOL Fellows will also have the opportunity to make their work public.
Introducing the 2026 SOL Fellows:
Aditi Iyer is a junior from Houston, Texas pursuing a major in Neuroscience and a minor in Chemistry. She spent an exchange semester in Copenhagen where she loved volunteering at the Green Market and, on campus, has been involved with Root Causes, Environmental Union, Heat Policy Innovation Hub, Green Devils, Bass Connections, and Sangeet. Aditi is curious about solving problems related to environmental health and how sustainable agriculture can be an avenue to uplift community health. At the Sanders Lab, she conducts independent research on the impacts of environmentally harmful and industrially dumped toxicants on Parkinson’s disease pathology. In her free time, Aditi loves biking, acrylic painting, walking around farmer’s markets, reading, watching sitcoms, and playing pickleball with friends.
Allison Lee is a junior from Hillsborough, New Jersey, majoring in Biology with minors in Spanish and Global Health. She is fascinated by how communication shapes health outcomes, particularly the power of language-concordant care to increase access to quality healthcare. This curiosity began while volunteering at the KinderSmile Community Oral Health Center, where she observed firsthand how speaking a patient’s native language can significantly alleviate dental anxiety. At the Minga Right Hemisphere Communication Lab, Allison continues to explore this intersection by leveraging neuroanatomical and linguistic analyses to understand language production after right hemisphere stroke. She is also involved in Bass Connections research examining the impact of migration on nutritional patterns and health risks in Indigenous communities in the Darién Gap, Panama. On campus, Allison enjoys designing experiential, community-based activities as a Service-Learning Assistant for Spanish courses and planning one of Duke’s most beloved traditions as the LDOC Chair.
Artivista Karlin is a junior from Miami, Florida, majoring in International Comparative Studies with a focus on Latin America and the Caribbean, with a minor in Environmental Sciences & Policy. Since the age of 14, Artivista has been a student organizer, poet, photographer, and activist engaging with communities and social movements in the South. Artivista is the hub coordinator for Sunrise Duke, the campus chapter of the Sunrise Movement, the national anti-authoritarian youth movement. She organizes alongside community organizations like Durham Rising and Siembra NC to push for migrant and labor justice at Duke and keep our students, workers, and communities safe. Her work bridges art, storytelling, and activism to build movements for collective liberation. In her free time, Artivista enjoys having poetry picnics with friends, taking photos, and organizing for a better world.
Beatriz Lopes is a sophomore at Duke University from Dillon, South Carolina, majoring in Neuroscience with minors in Global Health and Chemistry. She conducts research in developmental psychology at the Mind & Culture (MAC) Lab and volunteers as a Patient Navigator at Duke University Hospital, where she helps bridge language and cultural barriers by assisting patients in their native languages. Passionate about equitable healthcare communication, she strives to make medical environments more accessible and inclusive. As a MedEx Academy Ambassador, she has shadowed healthcare professionals, developed a research-based policy proposal to improve organ donation in South Carolina, and conducted research on diseases in late adulthood. She has also partnered with Greenville community organizations to introduce young students to careers in medicine. At Duke, she serves on the Outreach Committee for the American Lung Cancer Screening Initiative (ALCSI) Duke Chapter, organizing educational workshops and professional discussions. She is also an active member of Duke Synergy Dance, performing in university showcases, like the Family Weekend Showcase and the Spring 2025 Showcase.
Bria Maddox is a junior from Baltimore, Maryland, pursuing a major in Public Policy, a minor in Cultural Anthropology, and a certificate in Child and Family Policy. She is passionate about advancing social equity, particularly in education and child welfare. At Duke, Bria works in the Sanford School’s Alumni Relations and Development Office, supporting initiatives that connect alumni with students and contributing to communications that strengthen the school’s impact. She previously contributed to foster care policy research through Bass Connections, examining kinship care and youth outcomes, and tutored with Durham Public Schools to support student development. Bria has also participated in civic engagement work, furthering her understanding of community-focused policy work. Through SOL, she hopes to strengthen her leadership skills and engage directly with real-world policymaking. In her free time, Bria enjoys singing with her a cappella group, baking, and having movie nights with friends.
Fiona Xiao is a sophomore from Chapel Hill, North Carolina majoring in Public Policy and minoring in Economics and Chinese. Growing up in a mixed-status immigrant family, she witnessed how xenophobic rhetoric can fuel fear and fracture communities. This background informs her passion for migration policy, particularly in understanding how it shapes the lives of youth who often remain peripheral to social support structures. At Duke, Fiona serves as the External Committee Chair for Beyond Borders, an organization advocating for migrant communities. She also works as an undergraduate researcher analyzing policy strategies to address child maltreatment in foster care systems, is the Social Chair for Duke Chinese Dance, and serves as a literacy tutor with America Reads America Counts. In her free time, Fiona loves to take on complex baking projects, stroll farmers markets, spend exorbitant amounts of money on coffee, and play board and video games with her friends.
Gavin Fore is a first-year student from Alexandria, Virginia studying Economics and Public Policy. On campus, Gavin is involved with the Duke Sports Business Conference and Club Rugby. Before college, Gavin worked with Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, supporting gang member rehabilitation, and attended the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership in Virginia. His academic interests include social enterprise, impact investing, and the intersection of business and public service. He aims to pursue a career focused on using economic and financial tools to create social impact. Outside academics, he enjoys playing basketball, baking desserts, and photographing the world around him.
Hannah Yoon is a junior from Long Beach, California majoring in Biology and Global Health. Her interests center on women’s health, health equity, and the ethics of service in global contexts. She has worked in rural Uganda on HIV care and school infrastructure through DukeEngage, interviewed local community members on climate, health, and migration in Nepal, and served as Co-President of Duke Healthy Hands Initiative supporting clean water projects abroad. A former AmeriCorps Jumpstart member, she also supported early childhood education in underserved primary schools. She hopes to work with community partners to address social determinants of health and strengthen reproductive and community health systems in low-resource settings. In her free time, she enjoys backpacking, teaching golf at Hillandale, and playing poker with friends.
Janani Shanmugam is a first-year student from South Windsor, Connecticut. She plans to double major in Computer Science and Public Policy. At Duke, Janani is involved with the Alexander Hamilton Society, serves as the Engagement Chair for Bell Tower and Trinity House Council, and is a cadet in Air Force ROTC. She is also a member of Lasya, Duke’s South Asian dance group, participates in the Taekwondo Club, and contributes to Duke University Union through the Technology Committee. Janani’s academic and professional interests are at the intersection of artificial intelligence ethics, defense policy, and cybersecurity, where she hopes to explore how emerging technologies can be responsibly integrated into national and global security frameworks. Outside the classroom, she enjoys playing the violin, listening to music, and exploring new places.
Leila Zak is a sophomore from Hong Kong and Chicago, IL, majoring in Political Science and International Comparative Studies with concentrations in East Asia and Latin America. On campus, she serves as the Internal Committee Chair of Beyond Borders, Duke’s immigration advocacy organization, and the President of Flowers for the Future, which assists in the delivery of education where it is most threatened. Her history has been marked and shaped by cross-border movement, and she is passionate about creative writing and language learning as a means of challenging borders and building intercommunal solidarity. Leila is a writer and speaks Mandarin, Spanish, and Cantonese, while also currently learning Persian. She finds joy in creating art with friends and loved ones, her Spotify playlist “songs that say something!”, spoken-word poetry, and the communities she has at Duke and beyond.
Megan Bonne is a junior at Duke University double majoring in Biology with a concentration in Cell and Molecular Biology and Global Health with a certificate in Latin American Studies. She helps lead a community health interpretation initiative that trains bilingual volunteers to serve in nonprofit clinics, expanding language access and promoting equitable care for immigrant and low-income patients. Megan has conducted research at Duke, Yale, and other institutions on topics spanning reproductive health and leukemia immunology, integrating wet-lab experimentation with computational analysis. Beyond research, she contributes to national health equity efforts through the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) and Remote Area Medical (RAM), merging scientific inquiry with community service. At Duke, she is also part of a Bass Connections team assessing surgical capacity in Palestine, applying WHO-based frameworks to strengthen healthcare delivery in conflict-affected regions. Across her endeavors, Megan is dedicated to advancing equitable, innovative, and community-driven solutions in global health.
Sarah Fong is a sophomore and SPIRE Scholar at Duke University from Las Cruces, New Mexico. She is studying Neuroscience and Public Policy with a certificate in Human Rights. Sarah is passionate about bridging science and society to advocate for marginalized communities that have been historically excluded. As a Research Assistant in Duke’s Identity and Diversity Lab, she investigates how metacognition, stereotype threat, intergroup perception, and identity denial affect multiracial individuals. On campus, Sarah serves as the Political Co-Chair of the Asian Students Association and Secretary of the Mexican American Student Alliance, where she works to celebrate the cultures closest to her. Shaped by her experience growing up in a border town and as the daughter of immigrant parents, she is actively engaged in immigrant rights advocacy through Duke’s Beyond Borders and Americans for Immigrant Justice. Sarah’s favorite hobbies include hiking, yoga, soccer, pickleball, skiing, and sunbathing. In her free time, she likes to read classics, make collages, and try new restaurants.
Yaeli Greenblum is a sophomore and Baldwin Scholar at Duke University, raised in both South Texas and Maryland. She is currently pursuing a BA in Sociology with a concentration in Medical Sociology, aligning with her interests in local health issues and solving inequalities at the community level. Her favorite Duke experience has been the Bass Connections program where she researches disparities in head and neck cancers related to HPV vaccination. On campus, Yaeli helps lead Duke Jewtinos and GirlsWhoLift, cultivating community through empowerment and advocacy. Off campus, Yaeli volunteers with EmpowerHer Together to facilitate a middle school student leadership team directing a free summer book club that serves over 200+ students in Durham. She also supports the Launch! Program, mentoring seniors in the college application process. Beyond Durham, Yaeli is passionate about Maryland Girls State where she has served as a city counselor, helping girls campaign, lead, and connect. A certified personal trainer, Yaeli’s dream day includes a run outdoors, lifting weights, cooking a delicious meal with her friends, playing Bananagrams, and watching a late-night heist movie.
Zara Rasul is a junior from New York, studying Public Policy and Political Science with a minor in Education. She is passionate about disability rights and child advocacy, shaped by four years of experience as a Registered Behavior Technician supporting children with autism and by her work as a legal intern at Disability Rights Texas. At Duke, Zara is an Undergraduate Research Assistant at the Fuqua School of Business, contributing to Ordinary Courage, a project examining how organizational courage influences ethical decision-making and leadership. On campus, she serves as Vice President of Programming for Kappa Alpha Pi Pre-Law Society, where she designs professional development programs for aspiring attorneys. She is Vice President of Communications for Duke Votes, Vice President of Publicity for UNICEF, and Treasurer for Best Buddies. Zara plans to pursue a legal career focused on disability and education law, advancing equitable access and inclusion for children and families.
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