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Willow Fortunoff MPP 2026
UN Climate Change (UNFCCC), Subnational Engagement Team

Willow is a Master in Public Policy candidate at Harvard Kennedy School with a concentration in International and Global Affairs. This summer, she will be joining the UN Climate Change (UNFCCC) subnational engagement team, where she will work on strategies for connecting local governments to global climate action. Her current research focuses on multi-level climate diplomacy and the local impacts of international security challenges.

Previously, Willow was awarded a Fulbright research scholarship to study city diplomacy and migration in Ecuador, collaborating with local institutions such as the University of Cuenca and the Municipality of Cuenca’s Office of International Affairs. She served as Assistant Director at the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center in Washington, DC, where she launched the Center's work on city and state diplomacy and co-managed partnerships with the U.S. State Department for the Summit of the Americas and Cities Summit.

Willow has contributed to the field through publications in The Hague Journal of Diplomacy, The New Atlanticist, and The National Interest. She is a Truman Scholar, Foreign Policy for America NextGen Fellow, and a member of the Global Paradiplomacy Scholars Forum. Willow holds a BA in Political Science and International Studies from Macalester College.

 

Rohit Kataria MPP 2026
Massachusetts Department of Education, Office of Research and Planning

Rohit Kataria is a nationally award-winning advocate, 2-time Jeopardy! contestant, and published poet passionate about building a world where all students have equal opportunities to pursue a strong college education. This summer, he will work for the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education tracking and advancing the Commonwealth’s efforts to provide access to higher education for nontraditional college students. Rohit’s professional goals are deeply influenced by his upbringing in rural Appalachia, a locale with relatively few educational resources. He is currently pursuing a Master in Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School as a John F. Kennedy Fellow, Program on Education Policy and Governance (PEPG) Fellow, and Gergen Fellow. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy Studies from Vanderbilt University (’24) with magna cum laude honors, departmental honors in Public Policy Studies, and honors in the College of Arts and Science.

Rohit currently serves as the Founding Executive Director of Asian American Studies Collaborative (AASC), a national organization dedicated to building the capacity of advocates for college-level Asian American Studies. Under his leadership, AASC has impacted and been supported by students, faculty, and staff across 35+ universities in the United States.

Over the past few years, Rohit has contributed to advancing education initiatives at the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Education Technology, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, National Science Foundation, U.S. Agency for International Development, Tennessee Department of Education, South Central Ohio Educational Service Center, National Education Equity Lab, and Shawnee State University in southern Ohio. He aims to propel his professional, advocacy, and academic experiences to a career guiding national and state action supporting historically underserved college students, especially nontraditional and rural students.

Lukasz Kolodziej MPA 2026
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Digital Hub 

Lukasz is an MPA candidate, Fulbright Scholar and John F. Kennedy Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School focusing on emerging technologies and international security. At Harvard, he contributes to the Defense, Emerging Technology, and Strategy project and the Intelligence Project at the Belfer Center. This summer Lukasz at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in London (UK), focusing on developing strategies and methodologies for addressing cybersecurity and digital risk under the Associate Director of the Digital Hub.

Prior to Harvard, Lukasz worked at the European Court of Auditors in Luxembourg, where he led digital transformation initiatives and developed the institution’s first interactive report, which was recognized by EUROSAI. He previously served as a business intelligence specialist at Bitpanda in Vienna, supporting C-level executives with strategic analytics. Earlier in his career, he worked as a research assistant to Professor Jonothan Neelands, contributing to the Coventry City of Culture 2021 festival.

Lukasz holds a BSc in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics and an MSc in Business Analytics from the University of Warwick, with academic fellowships at UNC-Chapel Hill and Sciences Po Paris. His commitment to digitalization and security has been recognized by OSCE, UNODA, European Forum Alpbach, Aspen Institute, Google, BCG.

 

Daniela Schulman MPP 2026
Maryland Department of the Environment, Office of the Secretary

Daniela Schulman is a climate, clean energy, and ocean justice policy advocate. Currently, she is a graduate student at Harvard Kennedy School and a researcher at the Environmental & Energy Law Program at Harvard Law School. This summer, she will work for the Maryland Department of the Environment advancing Governor Moore’s climate policy agenda in the office of the secretary.

Before enrolling, she crafted recommendations for state and federal policymakers to achieve 100% clean power with the nonprofit Evergreen Action. Previously, she served as lab manager under Dr. Leah Stokes and Dr. Matto Mildenberger at the University of California, Santa Barbara, advocating for the passage and implementation of the climate provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act. Daniela has worked on coastal climate resilience at Urban Ocean Lab, transatlantic climate diplomacy at E3G, and winning local campaigns at Washington Conservation Action. She holds a degree in Environmental Studies and Human Rights from Yale University. Going forward, Daniela plans to serve as a lifelong climate leader across sectors, focused on making change, not being in charge.

Ruhee Wadhwania MPP 2026
U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways & Means, Subcommittee on Health

Ruhee Wadhwania is a Master in Public Policy candidate at Harvard Kennedy School, studying healthcare policy. This summer, Ruhee will serve as a Health Policy Fellow for the Committee on Ways & Means in the U.S. House of Representatives, advancing her passion for health equity to the federal level.

After immigrating to the United States, Ruhee underwent treatment for a severe heart defect, and this experience inspired her journey to public service. She seeks to advocate for marginalized groups in the development of healthcare policies so they may benefit from successful and inclusive policies as she did, and her career has reflected this mission. Her public service began in Congress as a legislative aide to Congressman Jerry McNerney in California’s Central Valley, an area with significant health disparities. Seeking to uplift these communities, Ruhee began working for the California state government in 2021 and drafted policies and legislation to improve statewide health outcomes.

Ruhee graduated from UC Berkeley with a B.A. in Public Health and Economics. At Berkeley, she researched federal and state healthcare policies affecting competition in healthcare markets and completed her senior thesis on reproductive health policies in the United States. She also served as President of UC Berkeley Model UN, where she instituted organizational policies to reduce discrimination against women and queer students and partnered with PATH to Care, an advocacy center for survivors of harassment.

Overview

Harvard Kennedy School students returning for the 2025-2026 academic year are invited to apply for the Gergen Summer Fellowship Program during the fall 2024 semester. Semifinalists will be selected and interviewed in early January.

Finalists are selected in mid-late January. Throughout the spring semester, finalists benefit from tailored mentorship from CPL faculty, staff, and alumni; access to CPL’s broad network of collaborators, alumni, and practitioners; personalized internship search support; and invitations to CPL events and networking opportunities.

Once internships are secured, finalists formally become Gergen Fellows and join a cohort of passionate public servants who meet regularly to build community and develop leadership habits and skills. Stipends of $10,000 USD are disbursed after finalists submit their formal summer internship offer letter.

Throughout the following academic year, Gergen Fellows integrate into the larger community of CPL fellows, attending CPL fellows events and receiving continued networking support and mentorship from faculty, staff, and alumni. Fellows curate their own unique programming, as well, and serve as recruiters and mentors for the next year’s finalists.

Questions? Email gergenfellows@hks.harvard.edu.

Calendar

Fall 2024

• September 9, 2024 – Applications open
• September 24, 2024 – Info session 
• December 2, 2024 – Applications close

Office hours with program manager Annie Trainque can be scheduled by emailing gergenfellows@hks.harvard.edu.

Spring 2025 

• January 2025 – Semifinalist interviews are conducted and finalist selections are made.
• February to April 2025 – Finalists receive:
  • Access to CPL network of collaborators, alumni, and practitioners,
  • Tailored mentorship from CPL faculty, staff, and alumni,
  • Personalized internship search support, and
  • Invitations to CPL events and networking opportunities.
• May-June 2025 – Finalists become Gergen Fellows upon confirming internship employment and receive a $10,000 USD stipend. The Gergen Fellows cohort is publicly announced.

During the spring, finalists participating in a joint/concurrent degree program outside of Harvard will be asked to attend Gergen finalist events remotely.

Summer 2025

• Gergen Fellows attend Zoom cohort meetings to build community and reflect on internship experiences.
• Each Gergen Fellows submits a summer reflection essay that may be shared publicly on the CPL website.

Academic Year

• The Gergen Fellows integrate into the CPL community and:
  • Be included in CPL fellows’ events such as the practitioner dinners and lunch and learns,
  • Receive continued mentoring and networking support,
  • Curate and conduct fellows-led programming, and
  • Recruit and mentor next year’s finalists.
• Gergen Fellows may be invited to speak at CPL community-facing events.

Questions? Email gergenfellows@hks.harvard.edu.

Eligibility

What are the eligibility guidelines for this program?

• The Gergen Summer Fellowship Program is open to current U.S. and international Harvard Kennedy School students pursuing a public service internship for summer 2025, and who will return to ����vlog���� in fall 2025.
• Applicants must be returning students enrolled in a two-year degree or concurrent/joint degree program at ����vlog����.

Can I apply for another fellowship at the same time?

• Gergen Fellows join a dedicated cohort who benefit from a unique fellowship experience and contribute as active members of the broader CPL community. While CPL does not prohibit Gergen Fellowship finalists from applying to other Harvard-sponsored internship programs and fellowships, if a Gergen finalist accepts another Harvard-sponsored internship fellowship (i.e., Dukakis, Bloomberg, etc.), they are no longer eligible to be a Gergen Fellow.

Who is not eligible for this program?

• Those graduating during the 2024-2025 academic year.
• Those who are not studying at ����vlog���� in the 2025-2026 academic year (e.g., joint degree students spending fall 2025 at a different graduate school).
• Those taking a leave of absence during the previous spring, following fall, or full academic year.

Which internships are supported through the Gergen Summer Fellowship Program?

• The public service internship must be full-time for ten weeks with a government, NGO, or nonprofit organization.

Which internships are not supported through the Gergen Summer Fellowship Program?

• Internships in the for-profit/private sector or working for a political campaign.
• Research with Harvard faculty. (Students interested in conducting research with a faculty member should work directly with that faculty member and the appropriate research center in seeking funding.)

Questions? Email gergenfellows@hks.harvard.edu.

Application Materials

• �����ܳ�é
• Bio (up to 250 words)
• Statement of intent to pursue work in government or nonprofit service over the summer, explaining the skills students seek to develop through their summer internship, the kind or organization they are interested in, and the sort of work they seek to do. (up to 250 words)
• Personal statement articulating the student’s dedication to public service, their vision for their career in public service, and how support from the Gergen Summer Fellowship will enable their work during the summer and into the student’s future. (up to 250 words)

While applicants who already have secured summer employment in government or nonprofit are welcome to apply, applicants do not have to have a prepared job offer. This program is designed to support students in finding meaningful work in public service.

Finalists will be selected based on applicant’s demonstration of:

• A specific, compelling case for how the Gergen Fellowship will continue their demonstrated dedication to public service and public leadership and how the Gergen Fellowship will enable them to pursue opportunities that otherwise might not be possible.
• A commitment to summer work that 1) advances the public, common good, and 2) has potential to serve as a springboard for post-graduation careers in government or nonprofit service. The most successful applicants convey this commitment in precise, concrete terms.

In order to be confirmed as Gergen Fellows, finalists will need to submit:

• Formal offer letter for summer employment that aligns with the spirit of the Gergen Summer Fellowship Program
• Compensation information detailing pay offered by host organization/employer (if applicable).
• Signed CPL fellowship allowance paperwork

Questions? Email gergenfellows@hks.harvard.edu.