Junior Earns Obama-Chesky Scholarship for Public Service
ALBANY, N.Y. (Oct. 21, 2025) — For Parmesh Thakoordial, education has always been more than a goal: It’s a promise fulfilled across generations.
A first-generation college student who was born Brooklyn and moved to the Capital Region at age 7, Thakoordial often thinks about his grandparents’ decision to leave Guyana in 1996 in search of better opportunities. His grandfather, a rice farmer who never studied past secondary school, used to tell him that “the world can take everything from you, but never what you put in your head.”
"His words have stayed with me," said Thakoordial. "I am here because of the sacrifices my grandparents and parents made. Education was never a matter of if — only when."
Today, Thakoordial is honoring that promise in extraordinary fashion. A junior majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology and psychology, he was recently named a recipient of the Obama-Chesky Scholarship for Public Service, a prestigious national program created by former President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama and Airbnb co-founder Brian Chesky to support students committed to careers in the public sphere.
A Family’s Dream, Realized at UAlbany
Thakoordial admits that UAlbany was not his first choice. Accepted to several top private universities, he initially viewed it as a backup — until he saw the opportunities waiting close to home.
"At UAlbany, I received the largest merit-based scholarship available for first-year students, and I qualified for the Capital District Leadership Scholarship," he said. "It made higher education affordable for my family, and I realized how much research was happening right here."
The University’s R1 status — the highest level of research activity recognized by the Carnegie Classification — was another deciding factor. Thakoordial earned his associate degree in biology from SUNY Schenectady while finishing high school. Later, he found a new sense of purpose in UAlbany’s laboratories and mentorship culture.
As an NIH-MARC Fellow, Thakoordial conducts research in Morgan Sammons’ lab in the Department of Biological Sciences and the RNA Institute, investigating how genetic mutations affect a protein called p63, which plays a critical role in skin development and disease.
"Parmesh exemplifies the best of what a UAlbany education offers — a curiosity that crosses disciplines and a commitment to using knowledge for the public good," said College of Arts and Sciences Dean Jeanette Altarriba. "Through his studies in biochemistry and molecular biology, psychology and Spanish, he is gaining a remarkably broad perspective on science, culture and the human experience. We are incredibly proud of his achievements and are excited to see the impact he will make as a future leader in medicine and in research."
"Parmesh has done some incredible work in the lab over the past year and is committed to a career making scientific discoveries that impact human health," said Sammons, an associate professor of biological sciences and associate dean for natural sciences and mathematics in the College of Arts and Sciences. "So, it is not surprising he is also passionate about making a direct impact on the health of our communities. This award is a testament to his dedication to improving the lives of others through both scientific research and public service."
Hands-On Learning at UCLA, Yale and Harvard
Thakoordial’s research extends far beyond campus. Over the past three years, he has earned competitive fellowships at some of the nation’s top biomedical institutions.
In 2023, just before starting at UAlbany, he studied at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine as part of the Summer Health Professions Education Program, conducting research on cardiovascular disease disparities in low-income communities.
The following year, he joined Yale University’s Amgen Scholars Program, exploring the role of immune cells in skin cancer. Most recently, he spent the summer of 2025 at Harvard Medical School through the Harvard/MIT Early Access to Research Training (HEART) Program, working to improve gene therapies for blood disorders.
These opportunities followed years of perseverance. “I’ve faced a lot of rejection,” he said, recalling early setbacks when he was denied several research placements. “But I’ve learned that every ‘no’ is a stepping stone. Science isn’t linear — you fail, learn and move forward.”
That mindset — paired with long hours in the lab and an unshakable work ethic — has earned him national recognition, including the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence, induction into Phi Beta Kappa, and now, the Voyager Scholarship.
A Scholarship with Global Reach
The Obama-Chesky Scholarship for Public Service provides up to $80,000 in financial aid and travel support to help students broaden their understanding of the world. Each recipient also designs a “Summer Voyage,” an immersive six-week experience that connects academic interests to public service.
For Thakoordial, that voyage will focus on health equity and access. He hopes to partner with the World Health Organization and the Health Educational Relief Organization to improve cardiovascular care in underserved communities across the Caribbean, including Guyana.
“I want to make sure the treatments we develop reach the people who need them most,” he said. “This scholarship is not just financial support — it’s a platform to learn how to translate scientific breakthroughs into affordable, real-world therapies.”
At UAlbany, Thakoordial’s leadership extends well beyond the lab. He serves as treasurer of Doctors for Hope, vice president of the Minority Association of Pre-Health Students and an intern with the Department of Disability and Health, where he helps lead campus accessibility and wellness initiatives. He has also volunteered hundreds of hours with the American Red Cross and the Elks National Foundation through national service trips.
“I’ve learned that talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not,” he said. “I want to make sure other students — especially those from first-generation or immigrant backgrounds — see that a career in science and medicine is possible.”
As he looks ahead to graduation in 2027 and the next step toward an MD/PhD program, Thakoordial keeps returning to his grandfather’s words — the ones that shaped his path from Brooklyn to Schenectady to UAlbany, and soon, to the world. In the meantime, he is also planning on adding a third major for his undergraduate studies in Spanish.
“Education is the one thing that can’t be taken away,” he said. “And I plan to use mine to make a difference."