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Aviation Student Nya Bradshaw Awarded 2024 VFIC/Altria Leadership Scholars Award
HAMPTON, Va. (March 24, 2025) — Hampton University proudly celebrates Nya Bradshaw, a standout student whose dedication to academic excellence and leadership has earned her the prestigious 2024 Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges (VFIC)/Altria Leadership Scholars Award.
The VFIC/Altria Leadership Scholars Award recognizes exceptional sophomore students in science or engineering fields who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement, leadership potential, and financial need. Recipients are awarded a $10,000 scholarship for their junior and senior years.
Bradshaw, a third-year Aviation Management–Airport Administration major with a Leadership Studies minor from Alexandria, Va., was selected for her remarkable academic, social, and professional achievements. Maintaining an impressive 3.9 GPA, she has exemplified leadership through various roles, including:
• President, Hampton University Chapter of the American Association of Airport Executives
• Director of Community Service, Golden Key International Honour Society
• Fellow, William R. Harvey Leadership Institute
• Team Building Committee Member, William R. Harvey Leadership Institute
Bradshaw’s nomination followed a rigorous selection process. Dr. Jarris Taylor, Director of the William R. Harvey Leadership Institute, recommended her as Hampton University’s nominee, with final approval from University President Darrell K. Williams.
“Hampton University is committed to cultivating the next generation of industry leaders, and Nya Bradshaw is a shining example of our students’ excellence,” said President Williams. “Her dedication, leadership, and academic achievements make her highly deserving of this award.”
Hampton University’s Department of Aviation continues to prepare students for dynamic careers in aviation, offering degree programs in air traffic control, airport administration, and flight education. Through rigorous training and hands-on experience, the department remains at the forefront of aviation education.
About Hampton University
Hampton University is a Carnegie R2-designated research institution, recognized for its groundbreaking research in atmospheric science, cancer treatment, and cybersecurity. Contributing $530 million annually to the regional and Commonwealth of Virginia economies, Hampton plays a vital role in driving economic development while championing diversity, inclusion, and opportunity. The university was recently named one of the “Best Colleges in America” by Money Magazine and recognized as the “Best Private College” by Coastal Virginia.
Founded in 1868, Hampton University is a close-knit community of learners and educators, representing 44 states and 32 territories, committed to nurturing intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and global citizenship. For more information, visit www.hamptonu.edu.
For media inquiries regarding Hampton University, please contact Mahogany Waldon in the Office of University Relations 757-727-5253.
IGI Partners with HBCU Hampton University to Sponsor Summer Research Students
August 4, 2025 Press Releases
By Hope Henderson
Two students spent the summer at IGI with support of UC Berkeley’s Inclusive Excellence Summer Research Experience program.
For the third consecutive summer, IGI hosted undergraduate researchers from Hampton University, a historically Black university in Hampton, Virginia.
The summer students, Aniyah Barnett and Nurashau Blount, each did two months of full-time research in Jennifer Doudna’s lab at the IGI. Aniyah and Nurashau worked on projects focused on how viruses interact with the human immune system.
Nurashau, a rising junior, was introduced to the IGI through Hampton professor Graham Chakafana. She plans to pursue a STEM Ph.D..
“This opportunity really stood out to me because it was at UC Berkeley,” says Nurashau. “And it’s been wonderful. I’m grateful to be in a state-of-the-art lab. There are so many resources, which made my experience 10x better. The biggest challenge for me was to be in the research mindset all the time, troubleshooting experiments, doing benchwork or bioinformatics. I loved it.”
Aniyah, a rising senior majoring in biochemistry at Hampton, applied to several summer research programs, but most were cancelled because of federal funding cuts, or were not viable options because they could no longer provide financial support. The IGI program provided housing and a stipend to cover travel and living expenses so students could focus on full-time research.
“It’s definitely challenging being here because everyone is so smart and doing such in-depth work, but it’s also very rewarding,” says Aniyah. “At Hampton, we don’t get the opportunity to spend so many hours in the lab. Here, research is really fast paced and it’s people’s main job. My favorite part was doing bioinformatics. And Jennifer is great – we get to brag about working with her to other interns!”
Aniyah and Nurashau are both considering applying to UC schools to pursue advanced STEM degrees.
The students were mentored by Erin Doherty, a postdoc in the Doudna lab, who was inspired to connect IGI with HBCUs after seeing the success of the UC-HBCU Initiative at UC Davis as a graduate student. After bringing the Initiative to Jennifer Doudna’s attention, they identified Graham Chakafana, a professor at Hampton University, as a potential collaborator, and worked together to submit a proposal to the program.
The UC-HBCU Initiative was started in part to address the low numbers of Black Americans in UC graduate and professional programs — just 4% versus 14.4% of the population as a whole. Black Americans are underrepresented in STEM and initiatives like this one are one way to help create a STEM research community that reflects the diversity of our population.
“When I was a graduate student at UC Davis, we hosted a summer student through the UC-HBCU Initiative. He ended up coming back to Davis for the graduate program. Over time we saw more students from his HBCU applying and getting accepted,” says Doherty. “And once we started to have an influx of students from underrepresented groups, that makes the program more appealing to future students from those groups. They know it’s a safe place where they can focus on the research and be supported. In my five years at Davis, I saw a shift in the demographic of students who were applying and starting in the program.”
IGI has been awarded major grant funding through the UC-HBCU Initiative to expand the connection with HBCUs. For the next two summers, IGI plans to host HBCU students in IGI labs not only on the UC Berkeley campus, but also at UCSF, UC Davis, and UCLA.
“My advice for people from Hampton or any HBCU would just be to really not doubt yourself,” says Aniyah. “A lot of times we think we’re not as smart or we’re incapable of showing up in these large spaces, but that’s just not true. We have the ability to adapt and adjust. So, put yourself in those difficult situations and explore because you never know what it could give you and what you could give them.”
“And I would also say, don’t let your initial discomfort turn you off,” said Nurashau. You’ll get used to it really quickly, faster than you think. We’re almost at the end now and I feel really proud of myself, and everything that I’ve learned. Keep with it even if it can get a little difficult at times.”
times.”
This summer, UC Berkeley’s Inclusive Excellence Summer Research Experience program was a major support, helping provide funding, campus housing, professional development opportunities, and social programming for the Hampton students.
“Once a week, we attend meetings that give us pointers for grad schools. We’ve talked to panels of UC Berkeley graduate students. I really enjoyed being able to connect with them and ask questions,” says Nurashau. “One of the best sessions was a week on mental health in graduate school, with a panel of grad students and a therapist.”
“The Inclusive Excellence Hub housed us at Anchor House, which is super nice,” says Aniyah. “They went above and beyond to make us comfortable.”