We are excited to announce the Renjen Fellows Program — a new, prestigious opportunity for students to work alongside faculty, business and community leaders, and other stakeholders to learn about regional issues and propose a series of revitalization initiatives.
The Renjen Fellows program is made possible through the vision and generous gift from Punit and Heather Renjen. Punit Renjen MM’87 is a Willamette alum with a strong passion for merging corporate interests and global good. Renjen grew up in India, and was 18 years old when he came to the US on a Rotary Foundation scholarship. After attending Willamette, Punit became CEO of Deloitte Global in 2015, and under his leadership, Deloitte saw record profits while investing 3% of its income in local communities.
Renjen Fellowships are available for full-time students who are and will continue to be enrolled in any of Willamette University’s degree programs through Fall 2025. The program will include a 2-credit course in Spring 2025 and a nine-week, full-time fellowship in Summer 2025—both of which will be offered in a hybrid format to ensure participation by students at our Salem and Portland campuses. By the conclusion of the program, Renjen Fellows and their faculty and community partners will develop and propose a set of pragmatic, implementable recommendations aimed at revitalizing the city of Portland and our broader region.
Recipients of the Renjen Fellowship should be able to complete high-level, collaborative work with a team of multidisciplinary students and faculty, and to represent the University with government, business, nonprofit, and other community partners. All participants will also be expected to participate in a hybrid two-credit course in Spring 2025, an in-person, nine-week fellowship in Summer 2025, as well as an in-person presentation to community partners in late Summer/Fall 2025. The Renjen Fellows program will provide approximately ten students with a $5,000 scholarship (Spring 2025), a $6,000 fellowship (Summer 2025), and a $3,000 housing stipend (Summer 2025).
Applications to the program as well as two recommendations must be submitted via GoogleForms. The deadline for applications is 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, November 10, 2024. We anticipate announcing Renjen Fellowship recipients on November 27, 2024.
If you have questions, please direct them to the Provost’s Office (provost@willamette.edu).