Three Student Leaders Selected for Prestigious Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program at Emory University
Monday Jun, 30 2025
Austin, TX – (June 30, 2025) – Huston-Tilltoson University is proud to announce that three of its outstanding student leaders have been selected to participate in the esteemed Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF) Program at Emory University, a transformative initiative designed to prepare high-achieving undergraduates for doctoral study and future careers as college professors.
The selected students are:
- Sky Turntine, Junior and Student Government Association (SGA) President
- Zya Fleming, Junior and SGA Vice President
- Zayvion Cannady, Junior and National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) President
MMUF seeks to increase the number of talented, intellectually engaged undergraduates who choose to pursue Ph.D. programs in the humanities, selected sciences, and social science disciplines. The program identifies promising students, typically in their sophomore or junior year, who demonstrate a deep commitment to academic scholarship and leadership. Fellows receive faculty mentorship, participate in a rigorous summer institute, enhance their research and presentation skills, and benefit from semester and summer stipends to support their academic and professional development.
Established in 1988 and named in honor of Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, a distinguished educator, minister, and former president of Morehouse College, the MMUF has grown from an initial eight institutions to include 47 member schools and three academic consortia, including the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) consortium of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
To date, MMUF has helped produce over 1,100 Ph.D. recipients, with nearly 800 currently serving as college professors and others applying their expertise in fields such as museums, nonprofit leadership, publishing, and public service. At any given time, around 800 MMUF fellows are enrolled in Ph.D. programs, and the fellowship supports approximately 500 undergraduate students each year.
“Programs like MMUF are critical to diversifying and enriching the future of academia,” said Dr. Melva K. Wallace, President of HT. “We are incredibly proud of Sky, Zya, and Zayvion, not only for their academic excellence but also for the leadership and service they demonstrate every day on our campus.”
Through the fellowship, students will work closely with faculty mentors, engage in high-level scholarly research, and join a nationwide network of future scholars committed to advancing inclusive excellence in higher education.
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About Huston-Tillotson University
Huston-Tillotson University is a private, historically black institution located in Austin, Texas, with a rich heritage stemming from its founding in 1875. HT was established through the merger of two separate institutions, Samuel Huston College and Tillotson College, which occurred in 1952. The university is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and the United Church of Christ, and it serves a diverse student body of approximately 1,200 students. HT offers undergraduate degrees in various fields such as business, education, liberal arts, and natural sciences, with a particular focus on programs that promote community engagement, social justice, and environmental sustainability,and graduate degrees in business and education
