Eight from SU Earn 2023 United Nations Millennium Fellowships

Tuesday October 3, 2023

By SU Public Relations

SALISBURY, MD---For the fourth consecutive year, Salisbury University students have been selected for the highly competitive United Nations (UN) Millennium Fellowship.

Eight SU students were among the 4,000 fellows from 268 campuses and 38 countries, selected from more than 44,000 applicants for the semester-long leadership development program. In all, fewer than 10% were chosen for this year’s cohort through the UN Academic Impact and Millennium Campus Network.

“The United Nations Millennium Fellowship provides students with the chance to learn from and challenge each other as they develop a plan of action to address some of the most important issues facing our community and the world today,” said SU President Carolyn Ringer Lepre. “We are excited that our students once again have the opportunity to work together to achieve a common goal as they join others around the globe in striving for a better tomorrow.”

Fellows from SU include:

Nanayaa Boaten, senior conflict analysis and dispute resolution and philosophy major from Laurel, MD;
Maiya Burger, junior biology major from Eldersburg, MD;
Olivia Davis, sophomore accounting major from Columbia, MD;
Mariane Diby, sophomore physics major and Millennium Fellowship campus director, from Silver Spring, MD;
Steven Grant, senior social work major from Annapolis;
Griffin Holmes, senior conflict analysis and dispute resolution major from Fleetville, PA;
Victoria Koslosky, senior interdisciplinary studies major from Berlin, MD; and
Elizabeth Wash, senior biology major from Waldorf, MD.

Burger, Davis, Diby and Wash also are members of SU’s Glenda Chatham and Robert G. Clarke Honors College.

“Obviously, these are some of the top students we have at SU, and it shows that you can really do anything and if you put your mind to it and compete with the Ivy League,” said Dr. Brittany Foutz, SU assistant professor of conflict analysis and dispute resolution. “What the UN Millennium Fellowship organizers really care about is getting applicants who have designed creative impact driven projects that aim to make a difference in our community and region.”

Dr. Brian Polkinghorn, professor of conflict analysis and dispute resolution, also assists with the program.

The SU cohort will connect on a regular basis to discuss projects, bounce ideas off each other and seek advice as they determine which issues to tackle and develop their plans of action. Previous initiatives have including promoting Community & Me, an online resource connecting volunteers with community needs.

For most fellows, their work does not end at the completion of the semester or even their time in college. Another benefit of the program is the vast array of alumni from around the world who create a network of contacts for now and the future.

Those interested in applying for the UN Millennium Fellowship should contact Foutz or Dr. Kristen Walton, SU director of nationally competitive fellowships.

For more information about the UN Millennium Fellowship program, visit the initiative's website.

Learn more about SU and opportunities to Make Tomorrow Yours at the SU website.