Goli is both a Henry Vogt Scholar and a KEES Scholar. He serves as the founder of both the Louisville Social Innovation Lab and the Droplet Water Project, and is also a member of the Indian Student Association. He has been involved in research in diabetes care and treatment at the University of Louisville and Harvard Medical Schools.

, Goli teamed up with UofL alum Jarui Desai (’18) to provide clean drinking water to those who need it most.  As of now, they have completed water projects in both India and Colombia.  

Last year, , a prominent award that goes to sophomores and juniors pursuing research careers in math, science and engineering. There have been just five Goldwater Scholars at UofL in the past decade.

In 2017, Goli earned the CCU Outstanding Freshmen Student Award. The next year, he earned the CCU Outstanding Sophomore Student Award. The year after that, the CCU Outstanding Junior Student Award.

Goli has certainly shown a pattern of achievement and a global pandemic hasn’t slowed that down.

Goli and Nico Ferreyra, another UofL student, recently assembled a committee of volunteers that have so far distributed nearly 800 meals to those who need them during the COVID-19 outbreak. The students are working with Blessings in a Backpack to facilitate the meal deliveries and are focused on making sure the food needs of the city’s elderly population are being met during this crisis.

According to Goli, the committee he and Ferreyra assembled is built in partnership “with inspiring local nonprofit leaders and include the key public organizations working on this issue.”

“We are excited to continue mobilizing our volunteers in a safe and coordinated manner,” Goli said.

For John Nevitt, director of economic mobility at Metro United Way, Goli’s efforts are not surprising considering his extensive resume.

“Praneeth Goli has been an extremely thoughtful and engaged Metro United Way volunteer, serving on our Community Impact Cabinet,” Nevitt said. “As you may know, he is extremely industrious, having launched two non-profit organizations since becoming a student at UofL, and soon to help with the creation of a social innovation lab at the university.”

Earlier this month, Goli was presented with a Cardinal Award. Formerly known as Mr. and Ms. Cardinal, the Cardinal Awards are presented by UofL’s Student Activities Board and is based on academic excellence, co-curricular activities and service to the university. It’s clear, however, that Goli’s service extends far beyond the university.

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The recipients were announced today for the , which goes to U.S. sophomores and juniors pursuing research careers in math, science and engineering. The $7,500-per-year scholarship helps cover education-related costs.

UofL has had five Goldwater Scholars in the last decade.

Goli is a chemistry major who plans to earn medical and doctoral degrees in integrative physiology. He is conducting ongoing research at Harvard Medical School and as a student researcher for UofL’s School of Medicine focusing on pancreatic biology, metabolism and cancer. His mentor is , associate professor of surgery and director of the Clinical Islet Cell Laboratory.

McGrady, who is also a Grawemeyer Scholar, is an electrical and computer engineering major who plans to earn a doctoral degree in electrical engineering. McGrady has been conducting research on microfabrication techniques in UofL’s Micro/Nano Technology Center cleanroom. He also completed a cooperative education program at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in 2018. His mentor is , Samuel T. Fife Endowed Professor.

Goli and McGrady are both from Louisville and are duPont Manual High School graduates.

There were 496 Goldwater scholars this year, selected from a pool of more than 5,000 candidates. The program honors Sen. Barry Goldwater and is a preeminent scholarship for STEM careers.