Sreenidhi Surineni named UC Riverside’s first Marshall Scholar

Sreenidhi (Sree) Surineni, a UC Riverside senior in neuroscience, has been named a 2026 Marshall Scholar, one of the most competitive awards in higher education.

The Marshall Scholarship awards American students up to three years of fully funded graduate study in any field at a university in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1953, the program aims to strengthen relationships between the British and American peoples, their governments, and their institutions.

Surineni is one of just 43 students selected nationwide. He is the only University of California student to win the award this year and UC Riverside's first Marshall Scholar.

"Sree Surineni's selection as UC Riverside's first Marshall Scholar is a remarkable achievement and a powerful reflection of our university's mission in action," said UCR Chancellor S. Jack Hu.

"Through his academic excellence, Sree exemplifies the promise of education. Through his research in neuroscience and neurotechnology, he advances discovery with the potential to transform lives. And through his commitment to expanding access to STEM education, he contributes to the public good, using knowledge to create opportunity. Sree represents the very best of UC Riverside, and we are immensely proud to see his work recognized."

Surineni will pursue two master's degrees at Imperial College London-a Master of Research (MRes) in neurotechnology and a Master of Science (MSc) in medical device design and entrepreneurship. He will begin his studies in fall 2026.

"Long term, I want to be a neuro-engineer who builds affordable, nurse-deployable brain-computer interface systems for patients with neurodegenerative diseases," Surineni said.

In addition to translational research, Surineni plans to continue work he began in high school to create accessible STEM teaching tools for under-resourced classrooms. The nonprofit he founded, Enlight Education, has grown to include chapters at UCR, UCLA, UC Davis, and Brown University, with international collaborations in India, Mexico, and China.

"I am proud not just of the scale, but of what it represents: turning my belief that STEM access is a justice issue into concrete programs that help students see themselves as capable scientists and engineers," Surineni said.

Surineni set his ambitious career plans into motion at UCR, where he serves as editor-in-chief of the Undergraduate Research Journal and the Research Committee Officer for the Riverside Free Clinic. As a Chancellor's Research Fellow, Surineni conducts research on Alzheimer's disease in the lab of Sika Zheng, a professor of biomedical sciences and director of UCR's Center for RNA Biology and Medicine.

"I am especially grateful to my parents, whose sacrifices made it possible for me to be at UCR, and to my research mentor Dr. Sika Zheng, who trusted me with real responsibility in the lab long before I trusted myself," Surineni said.

Louie Rodriguez, UCR vice provost and dean of the Division of Undergraduate Education, congratulated Surineni and recognized campus colleagues who supported him through the process.

"Sree has achieved a tremendous accomplishment by receiving the prestigious Marshall Scholarship," Rodriguez said. "His cutting-edge research interests, demonstrated service, and transformative community engagement activities are impressive, and he paves the way for future UCR students to pursue these prestigious awards."

Surineni said Gladis Herrera-Berkowitz, Jennifer Kavetsky, and the team at UCR's Center for Undergraduate Research and Engaged Learning (CUREL), gave him the resources and confidence to apply.

"This scholarship feels less like an individual achievement and more like a reflection of the community that raised and supported me here," he said.

Herrera-Berkowitz, the director of CUREL, has worked with Surineni since his sophomore year, when he successfully applied for a Barry Goldwater Scholarship.

"Sree embodies the qualities of a Marshall Scholar, distinguished by his leadership in research, his academic rigor, and his commitment to serving the community," Herrera-Berkowitz said.

Students interested in applying for the Marshall Scholarship or other nationally competitive awards are encouraged to explore the full range of available opportunities and connect with CUREL as early as possible. Early engagement allows students to receive targeted mentorship and comprehensive support in developing a competitive profile for top scholarship and fellowship programs.