Academic Honors and Fellowships
2025-2026 CSPC Presidential Fellows Program
One USC student is selected annually by the University for the CSPC Presidential Fellows Program, a year-long program to complete research relating to the study of the U.S. Presidency and Congress. Fellows also participate in three-day leadership conferences in Washington, D.C. during the Fall and Spring semesters.
Naya Dukkipati will graduate May 2026 with a Bachelor of Arts in Intelligence and Cyber Operations and a Bachelor of Science in Public Policy with a concentration in Data Analytics. She currently serves as the Cyber Privacy Lead at Shift SC and as a Research Fellow at the Ahmanson Lab. As a Strauss Scholar, Naya founded Project SafeWeb, an education initiative run through Shift SC that teaches youth how to navigate the internet safely and combat cyber trafficking and digital exploitation. Naya plans to pursue a career in technology policy focused on trust and safety, then attend law school to specialize in cyber law.
Naya was nominated as the University’s CSPC Presidential Fellow in August 2025.
2026 Goldwater Scholarship
The Goldwater Scholarship provides support to undergraduate students majoring in the natural sciences, engineering and mathematics who intend to pursue research careers in these fields.
Ayati Mishra is a second-year pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience with a minor in AI Applications. As an undergraduate researcher in the Irimia Lab at the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, she applies computational genomics and deep learning to study the genetic mechanisms underlying regional brain aging. She is second author on the first genome-wide association study of voxelwise local brain age in over 40,000 UK Biobank participants, published in GeroScience, and is currently leading a follow-up study examining the genetic architecture of hippocampal subfield-specific aging with direct implications for Alzheimer’s disease. Beyond research, Ayati serves as Secretary of the USC Kidney Disease Screening and Awareness Program (KDSAP), coordinating community outreach events offering no-cost kidney health screenings to at-risk populations in Los Angeles, and volunteers as a Spanish medical interpreter for underserved clinics across the city. After graduation, she hopes to pursue an MD, PhD, or both as she continues to investigate the computational and genetic underpinnings of brain aging.
2026 Schwarzman Scholars
Schwarzman Scholars is a one-year, fully-funded master’s program at Tsinghua University in Beijing, designed to build a global community of future leaders who will strengthen understanding between China and the rest of the world.
Giancarlo Ceja is an environmental policymaker whose work and passion lie in environmental justice, previously serving at institutions like the White House and the Energy and Commerce Committee. During his career in public service, he has implemented initiatives from the Inflation Reduction Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and Biden-Harris’ Justice40. As a Schwarzman Scholar and onward, Giancarlo strives to bridge the equity gaps in environmental policy and protect the marginalized communities most susceptible to the climate crisis. He graduated from USC in 2024 with B.A. degrees in Environmental Studies and International Relations.
2025-2027 Voyager Scholars
The Obama-Chesky Scholarship for Public Service supports students who have a passion for helping others, experience serving their communities, and can demonstrate an expansive view of what’s possible through public service.
Faith Buggs plans to leverage corporate philanthropy and cross-sectoral partnerships to establish and advance a global standard for human rights. Faith is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Business of Cinematic Arts and a minor in Advertising.
Walker Blackwell plans to focus on increasing inmates’ access to education in order to reduce recidivism rates in the U.S. Walker is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.