Sareen Muthyala, a junior biophysics major and one of URSCA’s inaugural Ethan M. Posner Fellows, was recently featured in a video celebrating 150 years of research at Johns Hopkins University, and was invited to attend the sesquicentennial kickoff celebration where it was screened before an audience that included President Ron Daniels, university leaders, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and donors.
The video, entitled “Students Ask: What If They Could Change the World?,” and the event, held in October, are part of Johns Hopkins University’s ongoing 150th Celebration, honoring a century and a half of innovation and impact. To mark the historic milestone, Hopkins has been producing stories and hosting events that highlight the university’s achievements and reaffirm its mission to advance knowledge.
In a communication with URSCA about his experience, Sareen shared, “I was able to speak about how even as an undergraduate, the Ethan M. Posner Fellowship and the mentorship from my PI and URSCA have allowed me to delve deeper to investigate a research question that personally means a lot to me.”
In preparation for the event, Sareen worked closely with the production team to shape his remarks and reflect on his journey. The process prompted him to think about what drives his interest in research and to explain the deeper personal motivations behind his work.
“I had to reflect a lot on my motivations for pursuing research and I came to the conclusion that it was a combination of trying to get closer to solving a problem that has personally affected me and those I care about, and the general hope to make a positive impact on others,” he wrote.
Through communicating his experience in the video and at the event, Sareen gained a renewed appreciation for the opportunities that he has had as an undergraduate researcher at Hopkins. He emphasized how programs like the Posner Fellowship and organizations like URSCA have created a culture where even first- and second- year students can engage with meaningful, real-world questions.
“As I reflect on this experience, I think it is a really great privilege to be able to conduct such meaningful research so early in my academic journey and it wouldn’t be possible without URSCA and Johns Hopkins who really emphasize and encourage undergraduates to get involved in research throughout their journey at the university,” he wrote. “This has deepened my motivation to continue putting in the time and hard work in research and other commitments at Hopkins.”
Sareen is currently in the first year of his two-year Posner Fellowship, through which he is studying the role of retinoid metabolism in heart failure. The Ethan M. Posner Fellowship is available to first- and second-year students from all majors of the Krieger School of Arts & Sciences (KSAS). Two fellows are selected annually, on the basis of their passion for research and determination to make a difference in the world. The award was established in memory of Ethan, an undergraduate biophysics major at Hopkins.
The deadline for the pre-application is December 21, 2025, while the final application is due by January 25, 2026. All eligible students who are motivated to pursue research by a desire to change the world and who exhibit a caring commitment to their community and fellow students are encouraged to apply.