Two Duke Alumni Named 2025 Samvid Scholars

Two headshots side by side
From left, Shreyas Hallur and Kashyap Sreeram

Two Duke alumni, Shreyas Hallur, T’23, and Kashyap Sreeram, T’24, have received the Samvid Scholarship. They were among 20 scholars selected from a pool of more than 1,000 applicants. The program awards up to $100,000 towards tuition and fees for two years of graduate study.

Originally from Phoenix, Ariz., Shreyas Hallur graduated from Duke in 2023 with a degree in Statistics and Public Policy. Hallur has devoted much of his studies and scholarship to supporting autistic people. For instance, in Phoenix he formed a partnership of non-profits to make museums more accessible for autistic visitors and their families—an initiative receiving over $3 million in funding from the National Science Foundation.

He also conducted research at the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, supporting the development of an inclusive autism screening tool. While at Duke, Hallur was an A.B. Duke Scholar, a Nakayama Scholar, and a Margolis Scholar in Health Policy. In 2023, he was named a Rhodes Scholar and spent two years studying sociology and policy at the University of Oxford. Hallur is now an MD candidate at Harvard Medical School and plans to continue focusing his studies on supporting community health and long-term care, particularly for autistic people.

Kashyap Sreeram, originally from Orlando, Florida, graduated from Duke in 2024 with a Program II self-designed major entitled “Computational Neurogenetics in Practice.” Now an MD-PhD candidate at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Sreeram will devote his career to analyzing the cellular and molecular processes that drive neurodegenerative diseases. A Phi Beta Kappa honoree, Sreeram has conducted extensive research and published on identifying the biological pathways involved in neurodegeneration. In Kalangala, Uganda, he focused his efforts on Sickle Cell Disease by incorporating culturally-based practices with educational pedagogy — working to address the stigma associated with the disease. While at Duke, Sreeram served as a data engineer at KORA, a startup specializing in AI solutions designed to optimize operating room efficiency. Sreeram is committed to advancing global health through making lasting advancements for aging populations.

Samvid Scholars was founded in 2021 by Samvid Ventures to invest in the graduate education of future leaders who are committed to creating positive change in society. In addition to tuition support, scholars are invited to an annual retreat which offers leadership training, professional mentorship, networking opportunities, and other support to students pursuing careers in STEM fields and the social sciences.

To receive support for applying for opportunities like the Samvid Scholars, prospective applicants should contact the Nationally Competitive Scholarships advisors in the Office of University Scholars and Fellows. For more information about the Samvid Scholars visit the Samvid website.