David Gergen Summer Fellowship Program

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.

Celeste Barry MPP 2027

Celeste Barry is a Master in Public Policy candidate at Harvard Kennedy School, where her interests include expanding non-punitive responses to substance use disorder and the political and policy barriers that limit harm reduction in the U.S. Her commitment to this work is rooted in early exposure to the realities of addiction and the enduring stigmas that shape public opinion and policy priorities.

Prior to HKS, Celeste served as Program Associate at The Sentencing Project, where she co-authored national reports on incarceration trends, racial disparities, and the scale of life and long-term sentences. This work deepened her interest in evidence-based, non-carceral approaches to community safety and the political challenges that impede reform.

At HKS, Celeste is building skills in political messaging and policy design and supported the mayoral transition in her hometown of Tacoma, Washington. Across her career, she aims to advance effective and politically viable strategies to reduce overdose deaths and reframe substance use disorder as an issue deserving sustained public investment. With the Gergen Fellowship’s support this summer, Celeste looks to partner with US policymakers seeking to expand harm reduction strategies despite political barriers and to learn from European cities that have successfully built robust harm reduction systems.

Gabriella Cantor MPP 2027

Gabriella Cantor is a policy strategist and activist committed to advancing democracy reform and accountability in the public sector. She is pursuing a Master in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School with a concentration in Democracy, Politics, and Institutions. Gabriella is also a Research Assistant at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, where she works with Professors Tova Wang and Erica Chenoweth on projects related to civic engagement, labor, and collective action. In January, she served as a Transition Term Policy Fellow supporting the incoming mayor of Helena, Montana.

Prior to HKS, Gabriella served as a Senior Policy Associate at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), where she conceptualized and advanced reforms to strengthen government oversight and transparency. Gabriella graduated from Tufts University with a B.A. in Sociology and Civic Studies. While at Tufts, she interned with several nonprofits including the Public Rights Project, Giffords, and Community Labor United.

Gabriella is dedicated to fortifying democratic institutions and shaping a future in which government is more equitable, effective, and transparent. This summer, she plans to transition from advocacy to working within government to pursue this mission.

Jakub Dovcik MPA 2027

Jakub is a Master in Public Administration candidate and Richard E. Neustadt and John F. Kennedy Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, focusing on state capacity and growth economics. Before Harvard, Jakub worked at the Government Innovation and Political Leadership teams at Tony Blair Institute (TBI) for Global Change in London, where he focused on the applications of artificial intelligence in public service delivery, with a particular emphasis on education reforms for the age of AI. Prior to TBI, Jakub was a private secretary and policy advisor to two Slovak Prime Ministers, a Chief of Staff to the first government Chief Innovation Officer and an analyst at the Slovak Ministry of Health during the first wave of Covid-19. He holds an MPhil in Technology Policy from the University of Cambridge, an MSc in Anthropology and Development from the London School of Economics and a BA in Development Studies and Economics from King’s College London. In 2025, he was selected for the Forbes 30 under 30 list in Slovakia in the Social Impact and Public Sector category.

Jakub will spend this summer studying ways modern states can utilize emerging technologies to provide better public services for their citizens and residents.

Victoria Hasan MPP 2027

Victoria is an Master in Public Policy candidate and Frank Knox Memorial Fellow. Prior to HKS, she spent five years in the UK Civil Service. Most recently, she was Senior Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, where she oversaw work on transitional justice following the Troubles. This included setting up an information recovery commission and developing a joint legacy framework between the UK and Irish Governments, announced in 2025. She also supported negotiations that led to the restoration of the Northern Ireland Executive in 2024.

Victoria is interested in understanding how policymaking can help create sustainable and peaceful futures in post-conflict states. Over the summer, she hopes to further this interest by getting hands-on experience at a development organization or NGO internationally.

Victoria graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from the University of Oxford, and speaks English, Mandarin, and Japanese.

Jordan Kuklin MPP 2027

Jordan Kuklin is a Master in Public Policy candidate at Harvard Kennedy School dedicated to public service that promotes economic security and agency for all. This summer, Jordan seeks to work at the intersection of regional economic development, technology, and industrial policy to investigate how structural transformation is realized through local implementation. Most recently, as a Research Assistant for the Taubman Center’s Autonomous Vehicles Policy Initiative, he supported a multi-stakeholder policy design workshop in Columbus, Ohio, to develop pathways for regional autonomous vehicle (AV) deployment. In this role, he synthesized complex regulatory and infrastructure constraints into actionable deployment pathways for state and local stakeholders.

Prior to Harvard, Jordan served for four years as a Director’s Financial Analyst at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). During his rotational fellowship, he worked on initiatives including market concentration analyses, the Biennial Credit Card Market Report, and the CFPB’s annual performance and budget reports. A former theater kid and Eagle Scout, he balances technical rigor with the interpersonal agility required for collaborative public problem-solving. Originally from the Bay Area, Jordan graduated summa cum laude from George Washington University with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Political Science.

Applications for the summer 2026 fellows cohort are now closed. Next year's application period will open in fall 2026.

Harvard Kennedy School students returning for the 2026–2027 academic year are invited to apply for the Gergen Summer Fellowship Program during the fall 2025 semester. Semifinalists will be selected and interviewed in early January 2026 and finalists will be selected in mid-late January 2026. 

Throughout the spring 2026 semester, finalists will 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 will be disbursed after finalists submit their formal summer internship offer letter.

Throughout the following academic year, Gergen Fellows will 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 will also curate their own unique programming and serve as recruiters and mentors for the next year’s finalists.

Questions? Email gergenfellows@hks.harvard.edu.

Calendar

Fall 2025

• September 25, 2025 – Applications open; Zoom info session from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. RSVP for the info session >
• December 1, 2025 – Applications close at 11:59 p.m.

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

Spring 2026 

• January 2026 – Semifinalist interviews are conducted and finalist selections are made.
• February to April 2026 – Finalists receive:
  • Access to CPL network of collaborators, alumni, and practitioners
  • Tailored mentorship from CPL faculty, staff, and alumni
  • Personalized internship search support
  • Invitations to CPL events and networking opportunities
• May to June 2026 – 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, or those who need to attend HKS abroad, will be asked to attend Gergen finalist events remotely.

Summer 2026

• 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.

2026–2027 Academic Year

• The Gergen Fellows integrate into the CPL community and:
  • Attend CPL fellows’ events such as the practitioner dinners and lunch and learns
  • Receive continued mentoring and networking support
  • Curate and conduct fellows-led programming
  • 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.

Applications for the summer 2026 fellows cohort are now closed. Next year's application period will open in fall 2026.

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 2026, and who will return to study in person at HKS in fall 2026.
• Applicants must be returning students enrolled in a two-year degree or concurrent/joint degree program at HKS.
• Students who meet these criteria and are attending HKS abroad during the 2025–2026 academic year are eligible to apply.

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 2025–2026 academic year.
• Those who are not studying in person at HKS in the 2026–2027 academic year (e.g., joint degree students spending fall 2026 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.
• Internships may be located globally. In order to receive the stipend, Fellows must be eligible to work in the country where their summer internship is located. CPL does not sponsor visas for Gergen Fellows.

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

• Resumé
• Bio (up to 250 words)
• Statement of intent to pursue work in government or nonprofit service over the summer, explaining the skills the student seeks to develop through their summer internship, the kind of 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.

Preference will be given to applicants whose essays clearly convey the field and type of work they wish to pursue; however, they are not required to specify a particular job or organization.

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 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). This is for informational purposes only; CPL generally does not reduce Gergen Fellowship funding if an internship is paid.
• Signed CPL fellowship allowance paperwork

Questions? Email gergenfellows@hks.harvard.edu.

Apply for the Gergen Fellowship >