Current Dalai Lama Fellows
Current Fellows (2025-2026)
Ava Acevedo ('26) (she/her) - I’m a senior from Lodi and Stockton in California’s Central Valley, studying Public Policy (Health Care Concentration) and Earth Systems, Environmental Justice. Inspired by my grandparents' farm-working history, I’m interested in how policy interacts with the health and wellbeing of farmworkers and their families/communities, especially through the lens of environmental justice. I deeply admire my sibling, Mace (two years my senior), because they are very courageous in protecting the people they love and being their authentic self.
Barron Nguyen (26’) (he/him) - Barron is a B.S/M.S. student in Earth and Planetary Sciences taking a researcher-practitioner approach to planetary modeling and climate adaptation. His research spans planetary astrophysics and the evolution of atmospheres, oceans, and climate, applying these frameworks to climate finance, community adaptation, and investment strategy. Barron works with Stanford’s Planetary Modeling Group and is engaged in climate ventures through the Stanford GSB Impact Fund. He was previously a Rising Birds Fellow for Aquaculture and Oceans Impact Investing at the World Wildlife Fund and a visiting scholar at UC San Diego, UH Mānoa, and UC Berkeley. His work integrates planetary modeling, social-ecological systems practice, and climate finance to support environmentally resilient capital and socially equitable systems.
Jadon Urogdy (’27) (he/him) - My name is Jadon, and I proudly hail from the Greater Flint area in Michigan, where I grew up in a close-knit community, working on farms and in mom-and-pop shops. I am passionate about bringing healthy discourse back into politics and working on grassroots initiatives to protect against democratic erosion. I am currently working on projects on campus and in the surrounding communities to strengthen civic education and engagement. I try to stay flexible in my work because I believe our experiences today should shape the missions we pursue tomorrow!
J. Li ('27) (they/them) - J. is a junior from Ohio studying Symbolic Systems and Education. They are extremely interested in building up systems for community in the face of new technologies and a changing global and political ecosystem. In their free time, they love being involved in the arts on campus, going on hikes, and watching video essays. They're excited to be a part of the Dalai Lama Fellowship this year and can't wait to bring this year-long project to life!
Kirsten Lees ('26) - My name is Kirsten Lees and I am a junior from Long Island, New York studying Human Biology with a concentration in Environmental Justice and Human Rights, along with a minor in Human Rights. I am deeply passionate about women's rights: the political restriction of women's bodily autonomy, the great disparities for women of color in the healthcare system, the financial empowerment for women as a complementary remediation for public health issues, to name a few issue areas. In my free time, I love to bake bread for my housemates in Columbae, upcycle clothes from discarded materials, and peruse Facebook marketplace for odd yet charming room decor.
Teddy Suisman ('26) - My name is Teddy Suisman and I'm a senior from Santa Monica, CA studying psychology with deep interests also in philosophy, art history, and different contemplative traditions. For my fellowship, I'm working on creating a contemplative curriculum with the Anderson Collection that combines mindfulness-meditation and arts-engagement. I plan to offer this program to the general public and then eventually to a specific community-in-need, such as a senior care home or at-risk youth. I believe strongly that self-awareness fostered through creativity and introspection is a path to greater well-being and connectivity, and I hope to continue this work in some form after graduation.
Tim Jing ('27) - Tim is a senior studying Biomedical Computation from Saratoga, CA. He is interested in the intersection of technology and global health to achieve greater equity and access in healthcare. In his free time, Tim enjoys playing volleyball, collecting board games, and photography.