The Project Haven​​
Meet Our Team
Our founding team is represented by Duke University students who are also firefighters, EMTs, researchers, free clinic volunteers and resource navigators who are not only passionate, but are experienced in serving the community around North Carolina. Our team has recognized the difficulty that people across Durham face when it comes to accessing vital resources like food and transportation and we hope that our efforts do something to change the lives of the underserved populations that we may come across.
Harsha Rajkumar
President
Harsha is a Duke University student majoring in Evolutionary Anthropology with aspirations of becoming a physician. He works as a clinic assistant at a free urgent care and engages with elderly populations through his clinical work. Through these interactions, he has seen how many patients suffer chronic conditions due to factors such as house fires, dust exposure, and limited access to healthy food and water. He is committed to addressing these environmental and social barriers to improve health outcomes for underserved communities.
Our Team
Romit Chunduri
Vice President
Romit Chunduri is a Biology major at Duke University who is actively involved in many student organizations at Duke, such as the Duke Student Government and Duke Remote Area Medical, and is passionate about medicine and advocacy. He is a dedicated student committed to addressing healthcare access and empowering underserved communities through resource awareness. His goal is to help North Carolina residents more easily navigate available community resources, with the goal of building stronger, healthier, and better-informed communities.
Govind Gurnani
Director
Govind is a Duke University Class of 27' student who is pursuing a B.S. in Evolutionary Anthropology and aspires to become a physician. He is currently a firefighter and EMT at Lebanon Fire Department and a community resource navigator in the Duke Hospital Emergency room as a part of Duke Help Desk. Through his work as a first responder and as a resource navigator in the emergency room, he witnessed the widespread needs of underserved populations in Durham. Now, he’s committed to bringing the resource navigation he practiced in the ER directly to people’s doorsteps.
Neil Nimmagadda
Director of Outreach
Neil is pursuing a B.S. in Neuroscience as a member of Duke University’s Class of 2027, aspiring to equip himself with the experiences and skills to become a skilled physician. He is especially passionate about expanding access to social determinants of health to his fellow community members to address health inequities beyond just the hospital environment. Due to his experience working as a resource navigator connecting patients with resources for expressed needs, he is well-equipped for working to expand access to resources to the overarching North Carolina community. With a coordinated, organized effort, he hopes to improve health outcomes by tackling community stressors and inequities at their roots.
Alec Vasquez
Director of Cultural Engagement
Alec is pursuing a B.S. in Biology as a member of Duke University’s Class of 2027, aspiring to become a compassionate and community-oriented physician. Originally from the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, he is passionate about addressing health inequities and expanding access to care for underserved populations. Through his experience as a medical scribe, Alec developed a deep understanding of the social and structural barriers patients face beyond the clinic. He is eager to apply this perspective to his work with Project Haven, helping connect North Carolina residents to vital community resources that address social determinants of health. By supporting coordinated, community-based efforts, Alec hopes to promote long-term health and well-being for individuals and families across the state.
Thomas Chang
Secretary & Director of Volunteer Services
Thomas is a Duke University student studying global health. He is an EMT for the San Bernadino Fire Department and working with Duke University Hospital to coordinate and train volunteer services. He is excited to bring these skills to Project Haven. Born and raised in Taiwan, Thomas noticed the health disparities between those living in the countryside and in major cities. He recognizes the importance of access to basic resources such as food and housing security. He is committed to bringing communities together through advocacy, outreach, and support.