The Change-Makers Prize was established in honor of Karim Abou Najm to recognize high-achieving students at UC Davis pursuing additional skills, training or experiential learning in support of their academic journey. The prize will be awarded to students who are going above and beyond their coursework and seeking learning and growth opportunities that will enhance their skill set and have a positive impact on the world. Karim was not only passionate about research and knowledge, he was also generous with his time and believed in every student’s potential . This prize is meant to reward students that share in Karim’s ambition and humanity.
The Prize amount is $500 and use of funds is at the discretion of the prize winner. The number of prizes will vary annually. Examples of opportunities for students to demonstrate their desire for growth and learning outside of their coursework can include, but are not limited to:
- Conducting research in a UC Davis laboratory
- Completing a technical certificate program
- Engaging in an entrepreneurship initiative
- Taking specialized coursework outside of UC Davis
- Doing an Internship or experiential learning
Eligibility Criteria
- Open to any UC Davis undergraduate student graduating in winter 2025 or later. Not open to students graduating in fall 2024.
- Overall UC GPA of 3.25 OR 3.25 in the last 3 quarters and in good standing.
- Applicants must be pursuing an opportunity to gain/use skill otherwise not gained in coursework.
- This opportunity is to be completed by December 17, 2025.
Please contact the Career Center at careercenter@ucdavis.edu if you have questions about the application.
Elements of the Application
- Application Form
- Biographical information
- Essay Question (500 words)
- Resume
- Unofficial Transcript (to verify GPA)
Honoring Karim
Karim was born to Majdi Abou Najm and Nadine Yehya in Lebanon. He joined Davis Senior High School and graduated with high honors, before getting accepted to UC Davis. Karim was six weeks away from graduating with a bachelor’s in computer science with honors. While in college, he was also a full-time software engineer interning at multiple companies and working on a software design project to help hearing-impaired people.
He established his company, Cornische, and participated in the PLASMA program for UC Davis undergraduate entrepreneurs. He was a member of the University Honors Program and received multiple honors and awards.
Karim was awarded the Provost's Undergraduate Fellowship and was designated a National AP Scholar. He won HackDavis 2022 for Most Creative Use of GitHub and HackDavis 2021 for Best Use of Google Cloud. He was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi honor societies, and posthumously received the Undergraduate Honors Program - Research and Innovation Award 2023.
Karim was a passionate, smart and caring young man who left us too soon. He’s a loving son, brother and grandson. He meant the world for his family.
For his short journey with us, he accomplished a lot. He took pride in helping others from lessons he learned through his studies and work. He mentored undergraduate computer science students and on-boarded student researchers to Miller Lab at UC Davis. He always gave a shoutout to his colleagues and supported them in finding opportunities on-campus and beyond.
In honor of the legacy Karim has left behind, the Karim Majdi Abou Najm Memorial Undergraduate Student Research Award fund was created to provide stipends to support undergraduate UC Davis students doing research. Visit the webpage to make a donation to the fund .
2023-24 Awardees
Andrew Matayoshi, Biological Sciences
Andrew co-founded a biotechnology startup that focuses on climate action by 3D printing biodegradable plastics from invasive sea urchin materials. He has participated in multiple research labs and won the UC Davis Climate Solutions Pitch Competition.
Kaelin Campbell, Environmental Science and Management
Kaelin is pursuing the NRS California Ecology Field Research program this summer, where they will visit multiple California reserve sites and design three independent research projects devoted to sustainability. Kaelin will be pursuing publication for these projects.
Nishi Bhagat, Computational Cognitive Science
Nishi has had significant lab research experience. They also created an app to help caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's. Nishi is a member of the PLASMA startup center and has raised funding for their projects through the UC Davis Big Bang competition.
Anika Williams, Design
Anika is pursuing the Fulbright Fellowship to study human-centered design for city planning and architecture in South Korea to hopefully incorporate technology into creating accessible and inclusive city design.
Shreya Chandra, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Shreya plans to pursue a career as an astronaut. They have interned with NASA three times, founded a space exploration student club, and is additionally pursuing a certification in open water scuba diving.