Students and Alumni  

Thirteen Harvard Graduates Take Up New Roles as Bloomberg Harvard City Hall Fellows

group photo of city hall fellows

The third cohort of fellows from five Harvard schools will help advance mayoral priorities and benefit residents in cities across the United States 

September 12, 2024, Cambridge, Massachusetts –The Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, a program of the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University, has named thirteen recent Harvard graduates to the third cohort of the Bloomberg Harvard City Hall Fellowship. These emerging leaders will support cities around the United States in developing and deepening their capabilities to address pressing municipal challenges.

The City Hall Fellows are matched with cities that have participated in the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative’s yearlong program for mayors and senior city leaders.

Fellows and Host Cities

  • Champaign, Illinois

    Evan Teplensky, Harvard Graduate School of Education EdM 2024

  • Green Bay, Wisconsin

    Ishu Gupta, Harvard Kennedy School MPP 2024

  • Lincoln, Nebraska

    Nanditha Menon, Harvard Kennedy School MPP 2024

  • Little Rock, Arkansas

    Manvi Aggarwal, Harvard Graduate School of Education EdM 2024

  • Madison, Wisconsin

    Alice Duncan-Graves, Harvard Kennedy School MPP 2024

  • Montgomery, Alabama

    Esesua Ikpefan, Harvard Graduate School of Design MDE 2024

  • Mount Vernon, New York

    Janira Borges, Harvard Graduate School of Education EdM 2024

  • New Bedford, Massachusetts

    Aathira Pillai, Harvard Graduate School of Design MUP 2024

  • Port St. Lucie, Florida

    Nikki Zheng, Harvard Graduate School of Design MDes 2024

  • Salt Lake City, Utah

    Sarah Zoubi, Harvard Business School MBA 2024

  • Savannah, Georgia

    Jane Berrill, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health MPH 2024

  • South Bend, Indiana

    April Canahuati, Harvard Graduate School of Education EdM 2024

  • Trenton, New Jersey

    Naman Sharma, Harvard Graduate School of Design MUP 2024

Photos and bios

The Bloomberg Harvard City Hall Fellowship places Harvard master’s or professional degree graduates into leadership positions in city halls, where they apply their skills to create lasting change and help build capabilities in city government. The fellows help their host cities tackle pressing and significant challenges identified by each mayor. Central to each fellow’s work is strengthening the host city’s capacity to sustain the work beyond the two-year fellowship term, continuing to innovate and serve city residents in areas such as housing, workforce and economic development, and public safety.

“As our third cohort of fellows reports for work in city halls across the U.S., I know this capable group will deliver meaningful results alongside the city hall teams they are joining,” said Snapper Poche, program director for city support at the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative.

“The fellows’ perspectives, experiences, and skillsets are equal to the diversity of challenges city governments must address. Previous fellows helped their cities reduce gun violence, expand civic engagement, implement climate resilience measures, take steps to revitalize underserved neighborhoods, and much more. I can’t wait to see what the new fellows, working with their city’s leadership, will accomplish over the coming two years for the benefit of city residents.”

The third cohort includes graduates from Harvard Business School, the Harvard Graduate School of Design, the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard Kennedy School, and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Together with the second cohort, more than two dozen fellows are now working to create lasting change in cities.

Fellows receive a competitive salary and benefits; robust professional development opportunities; cohort learning through the two years, including in-person convenings and numerous opportunities to interact with and learn from peers, Bloomberg Harvard staff, and faculty; and a unique opportunity to work closely with city officials to help make a difference in residents’ lives.

Visit the Bloomberg Harvard City Hall Fellowships page for more information.

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