Kavita Parikh
With nearly one month left to apply to the At-Large and Innovation Fellowships, we’re excited to highlight one of our recent Innovation Fellows, Kavita Parikh! Read about Kavita’s experience in the program and head to our other opportunities page to explore details on both the At-Large and Innovation Fellowship opportunities.
Applications are due by July 1 — don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to join!
What are you doing now?
After graduating last May, I am currently part of the Global Catalyst Graduate Program at Halma plc, a global portfolio company of lifesaving technologies. We rotate between their operating companies, working on high impact projects in business strategy and operations. I did my first rotation navigating the tariff environment in supply chain in LA, and I am now in Switzerland working as a Sustainability Specialist for one of their healthcare companies, developing a bio-based surgical device. It's been a great way to combine my technical background with the regulatory climate work that I am very passionate about.
How did you hear about the Innovation Fellows program and what inspired you to apply?
I heard about the Innovation Fellows program from Columbia's Fellowship Office newsletter. They always sponsor a Presidential Fellow, but they also encouraged engineers who are interested in policy to apply for the Innovation Fellowship!
What is your favorite memory from the Fellowship?
My favorite memory from the Fellowship was visiting the Supreme Court. We got to hear from the Chief of Staff for the Chief Justice and see real insight into how these landmark decisions are made. It is not often that we hear from members of the judicial branch, so his commentary and advice really stuck with me.
How has the Fellowship supported your academic or career goals?
The Fellowship helped me to solidify my career goal of bridging the gap between science and policy. It was so exciting to be in a room with my peers and be able to offer a new take or insight because I look at things in a different way. I've been able to carry that into my first job and will continue to throughout my career!
If you could have any job, what would it be?
Secretary of Energy! I am so passionate about renewables adoption and the energy transition, especially now as we are seeing AI push demand to another level. I would love to be part of the next LPO or to push new legislation that finally allows the US to be a leader in the climate crisis.