Archer Fellowship was springboard for UTSA Top Scholar’s success

JANUARY 25, 2024 — Editor’s note: This article is part of a yearlong series highlighting the stories and successes of past and present UTSA Top Scholars to celebrate the 10^th anniversary of the program.

From conducting biomedical engineering research to participating in study away trips, Bharath Ram ’19 took advantage of many experiential learning programs offered at UTSA while he was an undergraduate. These opportunities to expand his knowledge outside the classroom were a key part of what drew him to the university and to apply to the UTSA Top Scholar program.  

“Top Scholar and UTSA afforded me the chance to have a lot of different experiences,” Ram said. “I had opportunities that I would not have gotten if I had gone to a different school or different city.”

One of these pivotal experiences was Ram’s selection as an Archer Fellow during his sophomore year. The Archer Fellowship program gives students from across the University of Texas System an opportunity to learn about policymaking, history and advocacy while interning at various organizations in Washington, D.C.

“Top Scholar and UTSA afforded me the chance to have a lot of different experience.”

Bharath Ram in Peru.

During his fellowship, Ram worked as a research intern for the Global Health Policy Center at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a bipartisan think tank and research institution focused on raising awareness and shaping U.S. policy approaches to global health. An aspiring physician, his experience with the center increased his interest in public policy and its effects on the infrastructure of the nation’s health care system. It also opened his eyes to factors outside of the doctor-patient relationship that affect an individual’s overall health and wellness. 

“The general lesson I took away from it was that a lot of the health disparities I was researching around the world and in the United States are caused by disparities outside the realm of health care. Not everyone has the same access to housing or health care, or even to essential services like clean water and clean air,” Ram said. “Because of this Archer experience, I learned how so many problems are infrastructural at their root.”

On top of spending a semester in the nation’s capital as an Archer Fellow, Ram had the chance to live and learn in other countries as well. He explored cultural anthropology in Italy and addressed health needs in Peru during his days as a Roadrunner. While in Peru, he assessed levels of iron deficiency anemia and malnutrition in residents of the country’s Sacred Valley region.

“I was actually going into communities and working and meeting people,” said Ram. “So that was formative, and it was also my first-time doing work abroad.”

Study away and study abroad programs offer students like Ram hands-on, transformative experiences where they can build upon their knowledge, widen their perspectives and gain intercultural understanding. Aligned with the UTSA Classroom to Career Initiative, these programs are a popular way for UTSA students to expand their professional networks and increase their career opportunities while exploring new places.

In addition to his studies around the globe, Ram credits the multifaceted education he received as a UTSA Top Scholar with helping him shape his educational and career goals.

“Top Scholar has a big focus on a multidisciplinary, liberal arts education, and I have come to really value that,” Ram said. “I think it's informed a lot of my own educational pursuits.”

Ram earned his bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in civic engagement, a track that enabled him to learn about topics like health disparities, public policy, economics and global health in addition to his biology coursework.

Similar to his undergraduate studies, Ram’s current work is multidisciplinary in nature. He is a concurrent candidate for a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) from Baylor College of Medicine and a Master in Public Administration in International Development (MPA/ID) from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He plans to become a physician and combine multiple academic areas to combat health disparities, gain a comprehensive understanding of the health care system and learn how it can better serve all populations.

“I have a broad, lofty goal, but I think Top Scholar has informed a lot of that multidisciplinary perspective,” Ram said. “It gave me the preparation to balance all these components, which is what I still do now.”

The Archer Fellowship Program is currently accepting applications for its Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 cohorts. The application deadline is Thursday, February 15, 2024.

Now in its 10th year, the UTSA Top Scholar program continues to develop award-winning, academically talented student leaders. The program annually selects 10 high-achieving students from high schools across Texas to become Top Scholars. Students join a supportive community of peers who take part in transformative experiences both in and out of the classroom, giving them an advantage in their post-college endeavors. Each student receives a scholarship for up to four years that covers tuition, fees, and room and board.

The annual UTSA Top Scholar application deadline is December 1 of each year and includes a recommendation letter, list of extracurricular and service activities, and several short answer questions. Prior to applying for Top Scholar, students must first have an application on file for fall admission to UTSA.

— Chloe Johnson