Aspiring Elder Care Physician, Advocate Wins Urann Fellowship
By: Jessica Good | Dec. 16, 2025
A medical student and University of Texas at Dallas alum has been awarded a Marcus L. Urann Fellowship from The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi.
Aryan Verma BS’24, a National Merit Scholar and Archer Fellow, studied neuroscience in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences as a member of the Collegium V program in the Hobson Wildenthal Honors College. Now he is a first-year student at UT Southwestern Medical School.
Verma developed an interest in neuroscience when he was a high school student in Kansas.
“I came to college knowing that I love learning about the brain,” he said.
When he got to UT Dallas in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, he volunteered with Comets HELP (Hospital Elder Life Program), which matches Honors College students with geriatric patients in a partnership with UT Southwestern Medical Center.
“It was at a time when volunteering was kind of shut down in person, and we had to get a little bit innovative,” Verma said. “I was matched with a 79-year-old man who had Alzheimer’s disease, and I would call him every week. We would talk about how he was feeling and what was going on in his life. I ended up just building a really close relationship with him and his family.”
During that journey with Comets HELP, Verma saw what he calls the beautiful side of medicine.
“I really liked supporting an older adult and all the challenges that came with that, such as social isolation and caregiver burden. Those experiences cemented my interest in pursuing a career in medicine,” he said.
Dr. Douglas Dow, associate dean of the Honors College, clinical professor of government and politics, and head of the Office of Distinguished Scholarships, said Verma’s intelligence is matched by his positive energy and compassion.
“Aryan was a neuroscience major, with a public health minor. His passion lay in geriatric health care. This was a focus that Aryan took into different walks of life,” Dow said. “Aryan exemplifies the Phi Kappa Phi ideal of extending your intellectual passions outside the classroom or the laboratory into the world.”
As an undergraduate, Verma also conducted research in geriatric medicine, particularly the interplay between physical activity, cardiovascular physiology and brain health in older adults. His projects led to several poster presentations at conferences and a published study.
Phi Kappa Phi Chapter Inducts New Members
The University of Texas at Dallas chapter of The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi inducted 144 new members — one faculty member, 141 students and two staff members — in December. Dr. Douglas Dow, associate dean of the Hobson Wildenthal Honors College, clinical professor of government and politics, and head of the Office of Distinguished Scholarships at UT Dallas, is the chapter president.
Dr. William Nichols, dean of undergraduate education, the Mary McDermott Cook Chair for Undergraduate Education and the faculty Phi Kappa Phi inductee, asked the new members in his keynote speech to look for unique experiences wherever they can find them.
“In this modern world dominated by algorithms, I encourage you to seek out randomness,” he said.
The collegiate honor society initiates approximately 20,000 members a year on more than 300 campuses. Membership is by invitation only and is offered to the top 7.5% of juniors and the top 10% of seniors and graduate students. Faculty, professional staff and alumni who achieve scholarly distinction also may be eligible.
Dr. Jessica Voit BS’09, assistant professor of internal medicine at UT Southwestern and medical director of the Geriatrics Care Clinic, worked with Verma in Comets HELP, which she founded.
“I have gotten to work with some exceptional students over the years through this program, and Aryan Verma truly stands out. As a HELP volunteer, he found deep connection across the generational divide,” she said. “I have loved watching him grow as a student and as a future physician, embracing the art and the humanism of connecting with patients.”
Inspired by his experience with Comets HELP, Verma helped create the UT Dallas student group Memories Matter to raise awareness about older adults living with dementia.
“As my passion for geriatrics grew, I realized that improving the lives of older adults goes beyond clinical care — it requires systemic change. This led me to engage with public health, advocacy and policy,” he said.
As an Archer Fellow, Verma interned in the Washington office of U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, where he had the opportunity to craft a policy proposal to improve programs for young students who may be facing substance-use issues. He also helped create policy to relieve food insecurity.
“I was able to see how leaders from different sides of the aisle would come together to draft cohesive policies, how much accountability matters and where funding comes from within various budgets,” he said. “It was those three experiences — being an Archer Fellow and Comets HELP volunteer and creating Memories Matter — that were most meaningful to me at UT Dallas and have helped me shape who I’ve become.”
Phi Kappa Phi, the oldest and most selective multidisciplinary collegiate honor society in the United States, has had more than 1.75 million members join since its founding in 1897. UT Dallas established its chapter in 2011.
The Urann Fellowship supports Phi Kappa Phi members entering their first year of graduate or professional study. Each university chapter of Phi Kappa Phi is allowed to nominate one applicant for the society’s fellowships each year. While there are 40 fellowship awards of $8,500, there are only six Urann awards, in which the recipients are awarded $15,000 each. In the 14 years UT Dallas has had a chapter of Phi Kappa Phi, all of its nominees have received a fellowship, including six that have been Urann Fellows.
Media Contact: Jessica Good, UT Dallas, 972-883-4319, jessica.good@utdallas.edu, or the Office of Media Relations, UT Dallas, (972) 883-2155, newscenter@utdallas.edu.
