U of A Honors College Announces 2026 Bodenhamer Fellows

The new Bodenhamer Fellows will join a group of 180 current and alumni fellows who have benefited from the generous support of the Bodenhamer family. Alumni fellows are excelling in a wide range of career paths, from founding and growing startups to making breakthroughs in the lab  to pioneering more sustainable ways to build and power our communities. Many are pursuing advanced degrees at universities such as Harvard, Yale and Vanderbilt.   

2026 Bodenhamer Fellows 

Mahila Cheralathan graduated from Gretchen Whitney High School, where she competed on the varsity volleyball team and earned recognition as a CIF Southern Section Scholar Athlete and a Highest Honors student. She also completed advanced Spanish coursework that culminated in the California Seal of Biliteracy, reflecting her proficiency in both English and Spanish. 

Outside of school, Cheralathan founded and served as president of Medical Mystery Camp, a nonprofit organization that provides hands-on medical education through workshops and summer camps for students. Through the organization, she developed and published a medical curriculum, partnered with community nonprofits and expanded access to healthcare education for more than 120 students. Her leadership was recognized with the Dragon Kim Fellowship and the Bill of Rights Institute's National Civic Achievement Award. 

Cheralathan pursued extensive research and clinical experiences throughout high school. She conducted Alzheimer's disease research at the UCLA Nanoscale Microscopy Lab Summer Institute, completed a summer research program at the UCI Center for the Scientific Study of Ethics and Morality, authored a research paper on healthcare disparities that is pending publication in the Journal of Academic Inquiry, participated in the UCLA Pre-Med Summer Scholars Program and served as a medical assistant and scribe for a pediatrician at The Children's Clinic Family Health. She also coached gymnastics, mentoring more than 50 young athletes each week. 

She is an AP Scholar with Honor, earned the Presidential Volunteer Service Award Gold for completing more than 250 hours of community service and plans to major in sociology. She is the daughter of Mahalakshmi and Nedun Cheralathan. 

Sanjay Shreeyans Javangula graduated from Bentonville High School, where he excelled in computer science, engineering and cybersecurity. He served as team leader and programmer for the school's VEX Robotics team, captained the CyberPatriot cybersecurity team and represented his peers on the Bentonville Schools Student Leadership Board. 

Outside of school, Javangula founded ExpressBuddy, an artificial intelligence platform that helps elementary students with speech delays build communication skills through interactive practice. He presented the platform to Bentonville Public Schools speech-language pathologists and district leadership, leading to its approval for a districtwide pilot. He also completed an AI and Mobile Solutions internship at Walmart Global Tech, where he developed a proof-of-concept application using vision-language models to automate invoice processing, and conducted independent research applying graph neural networks to identify potential drug treatments for brain cancer. 

Javangula earned numerous state and national honors, including recognition as an Arkansas Computer Science Student of Distinction, National Cyber Scholar with Honor, AP Scholar with Distinction and a two-time Congressional App Challenge award winner. He also helped lead his VEX Robotics team to a state Create Award and a first-place finish in the VEX Robotics Workforce Readiness Challenge, qualifying for the VEX World Championship. 

Javangula plans to major in computer science. He is the son of Sri Alivelu Mangatayi Javangula and Radhakrishna Javangula. 

Sohan Jayappa graduated from Little Rock Central High School, where he served as drum major of the marching band, principal flutist and vice president of the Brain Bee Club. Through these leadership roles, he mentored fellow musicians, led rehearsals and helped prepare students for state and national neuroscience competitions. 

Outside of school, Jayappa conducted neuroscience and biomedical research under the guidance of mentors, studying topics including artificial intelligence in epilepsy diagnosis and DNA methylation in acute myeloid leukemia. He also volunteered in a research laboratory, performing genotyping, PCR and gel electrophoresis, shadowed physicians in orthopedic surgery and pediatric neurology, volunteered as a counselor-in-training at Camp Aldersgate for children with special needs and helped organize performances for residents of senior living communities through the Our Songs Project. 

Jayappa is a National Merit Finalist, state Brain Bee champion who competed at the national level and earned multiple honors for his scientific research, including first-place recognition at the Arkansas Science and Engineering Fair. He is also a member of the Science National Honor Society, received multiple awards at the Arkansas Model United Nations and was twice selected to the Arkansas All-Region Band. 

Jayappa plans to major in psychology. He is the son of Nethravathi and Sateesh Jayappa.  

David Orme graduated from Lakeside High School, where he served as head drum major of the marching band, first-chair alto saxophonist in the symphonic band and president of the school's Future Business Leaders of America chapter. He also was a founding member and primary editor of the Lakeside Perspective literary magazine and school newspaper. 

Outside of school, Orme completed a paid metallurgy research internship studying the production of vanadium pentoxide, conducted independent research on entrepreneurial resilience, volunteered with Young Men of Distinction to support local cancer patients and served on the Garland County Youth Advisory Council, helping raise and distribute grants to nonprofit organizations. He also tutored students with special needs through Scholars in Unity. 

Orme is an AP Scholar with Distinction and AP Capstone Diploma recipient. He earned All-State honors as an alto saxophonist, was runner-up in the Arkansas FBLA Word Processing competition and was selected to attend Arkansas Boys State. 

He plans to major in chemical engineering and is the son of Amanda and Jody Orme. 

Deerga Shivaani Ramu graduated from Bentonville West High School, where she served as soprano section leader for the Chamber Choir, president of the K-Pop Club, vice president of the International Thespian Society troupe and a member of the Bentonville School District Student Leadership Board. She also represented her school in debate and earned All-State and All-Region honors in choir. 

Outside of school, Ramu volunteered with the Bentonville Public Library as both a Teen Advisory Board leader and library volunteer, helping organize community events, develop outreach initiatives and support patrons. She also wrote published articles as an ambassador for LOUDWomen, advocating for issues including women's representation and period equity, and contributed to student government and community service projects through Student Council and Key Club.  

Ramu is a National Merit Finalist, AP Scholar with Distinction, earned the Arkansas Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish and was a state qualifier in Public Forum debate. She also placed second in the Arkansas Bar Association's Spend a Day with a Judge Essay Contest, earning the opportunity to shadow a circuit judge and visit the Arkansas Supreme Court. 

She plans to major in political science and is the daughter of Mageswari Ramu and Ramu Duraisamy. 

Andrew Shellhammer graduated from the Don Tyson School of Innovation, where he excelled in culinary arts, robotics and music. He served as principal tuba of the Wind Symphony, was lead programmer for the school's FIRST Tech Challenge robotics team and earned the rank of Eagle Scout through Boy Scout Troop 107B. 

Outside of school, Shellhammer worked as a line cook at Theo's in Fayetteville while taking evening culinary courses at Brightwater: A Center for the Study of Food. He also competed on his school's culinary team, volunteered with his church's student ministry and planned and led an Eagle Scout service project constructing a bridge at the Ozark Natural Science Center. 

Shellhammer is a National Merit Finalist, AP Scholar with Distinction and AP Scholar with Honor who will graduate with Highest Honors. He attended both Arkansas Boys State and Arkansas Governor's School, helped lead his robotics team to the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship and earned All-Region Band honors all four years of high school, along with selection to the Arkansas All-State Band. 

He plans to major in food science and is the son of Carly and Phil Shellhammer. 

About the Honors College: The University of Arkansas Honors College was established in 2002 and brings together high-achieving undergraduate students and the university's top professors to share transformative learning experiences. Each year the Honors College awards fellowships that provide $80,000 over four years, and more than $1 million in undergraduate research and study abroad grants. The Honors College is nationally recognized for the high caliber of students it admits and graduates. Honors students enjoy small, in-depth classes, and programs are offered in all disciplines, tailored to students' academic interests, with interdisciplinary collaborations encouraged. All Honors College graduates have engaged in mentored research. 

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $3 billion to Arkansas' economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.