Pratyush Seshadri ’25 named Marshall scholar
The Morehead-Cain scholar will continue his studies in economics at the University of Oxford.
Pratyush Seshadri, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill, has been named Carolina’s 23rd Marshall scholar. The prestigious Marshall scholarship fully funds two years of graduate study at any institution in the United Kingdom.
A Morehead-Cain scholar and Honors Carolina student, Seshadri will graduate in May 2025 with a double major in economics and mathematics and a minor in history. At Carolina, he has served on the Daily Tar Heel’s board of directors and the executive board for the Parr Center for Ethics. Seshadri is also the co-founder of Visibility Forward, which seeks to promote the development of Asian American history curricula. For his advocacy work for Asian Americans, Seshadri was named a Robert E. Bryan fellow through the Carolina Center for Public Service, a Clinton Global Initiative fellow, and a Projects for Peace Foundation winner.
As a Marshall scholar, Seshadri plans to pursue a Master of Philosophy in economics at the University of Oxford in fall 2025. At Oxford, he hopes to focus on developing economic mechanisms to mitigate the effects of climate change.
“I was interested in applying for the Marshall because it offers an unparalleled opportunity to pursue further education in my areas of interest, explore the United Kingdom and form relationships that will last a lifetime,” Seshadri said.
The philosophy program at Oxford will build upon Seshadri’s experiences at Carolina, including macroeconomic research in Johannesburg, work as a logistics strategist in Nairobi, Kenya, and private equity analysis on climate infrastructure that he conducted in New York City.
“I’m really looking forward to getting to know an incredible group of scholars and collaborating with them in the coming years in addressing our world’s most pressing challenges,” he said.
For several years, Seshadri has worked as a Smart Surfaces scholar through the Smart Surfaces Coalition to drive investment into climate-resilient infrastructure, collaborating with partners at the United Nations, the city of London and the U.S. National League of Cities.
Seshadri is also a researcher at the Digital Health Economics and Policy Lab at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, a multidisciplinary research group that explores issues at the nexus of economics and technology to develop novel solutions.
Seshadri’s commitment to tackling global challenges and his innovative mindset will serve him well at Oxford, Morehead-Cain President Chris Bradford said.
“Pratyush embodies the aspirations that define Morehead-Cain: he is an engaged scholar of high character with a deep commitment to community. I know that he will rigorously explore new ideas as a Marshall scholar and that he will impact the Oxford community as he has impacted our own. I look forward to following his leadership journey,” Bradford said.
