Willamette University has selected ten students for its inaugural cohort of Renjen Fellows, a program aimed at developing social impact initiatives to address regional revitalization. The fellowship, established through a generous gift from former Deloitte Global CEO Punit Renjen MM'87 and his wife Heather, connects academic excellence with real-world community impact.
In addition to coursework and an intensive summer fellowship, the culmination of the program will be a presentation of actionable recommendations for revitalizing Portland and the surrounding region, developed in collaboration with local government, nonprofit, and industry partners.
“The Renjen Fellows program demonstrates our belief that community revitalization happens when we connect knowledge to action,” Renjen said. “Heather and I are excited to see these students come together across different disciplines and backgrounds, united by the desire to find innovative solutions to the challenges facing our region.”
The program brings together students from across Willamette's academic programs, including the Atkinson Graduate School of Management, Willamette College, Pacific Northwest College of Art, and School of Computing & Information Sciences. Selected fellows represent disciplines ranging from business administration and data science to animated arts and psychology, reflecting the program's commitment to multidisciplinary approaches to social innovation.
“This fellowship represents a unique opportunity to bridge academic research with practical community impact," says Visiting Assistant Professor of Sociology Sarah Chivers, one of three faculty members co-teaching the program's cornerstone course, Social Impact by Design. The course is taught collaboratively by professors from three of Willamette’s academic units: Fred Agbo of the School of Computing and Information Science, Chivers of Willamette College, and Jane Machin of the Atkinson Graduate School of Management.
“This fellowship cultivates an ability to see the big picture of a social problem and identify where and how we each can contribute,” said Kyra Adamson MBA’26. “This environment drew me to the fellowship — that this group of passionate and interdisciplinary individuals can collaborate to develop solutions that scope beyond what we can do individually. It is a philosophy captured by Willamette’s motto: Not unto ourselves alone are we born.”
The program is designed to be accessible to students from Willamette’s Salem and Portland campuses through its hybrid format, ensuring broad participation while maintaining the hands-on, collaborative nature of the fellowship experience. Each fellow will receive comprehensive support, including a $5,000 scholarship, a $6,000 summer fellowship, and a $3,000 housing stipend.
The fellowship's namesake, Punit Renjen, embodies the program's vision of combining business acumen with social impact. After arriving at Willamette as a Rotary Foundation scholar from India, Renjen went on to lead Deloitte Global as CEO, where he championed the investment of nearly 3% of the firm's net income into community initiatives.
“The Renjen Fellows program represents Willamette's commitment to fostering leaders who understand the relationship between corporate success and community wellbeing,” said Willamette Provost and Senior Vice President Carol Long.
“I look forward to identifying a project and outcome that will be meaningful to our team, the Renjens, and the Portland community,” Adamson said.
The program will continue through Fall 2025, with fellows working across Willamette University’s Salem and Portland campuses.
The 2025 Renjen Fellows
- Kyra Adamson MBA’26, Masters of Business Administration
- Samuel Holmes BS’27, Computer Science and Data Science
- William LaDuca BA’26, Politics, Policy, Law, and Ethics
- Ozias Lapsys BFA’26, Intermedia
- Anastasiia Lemesh BA’26, International Studies and Economics
- Nathaniel Moore BFA’27, Illustration
- Brooke Proctor BS’26, Environmental Science and Data Science
- Aphena Sov BFA’27, Animated Arts
- Keegan Stershic BA’26, Psychology
- Joshua Torres BA’27, Psychology and Business
