The cohort of 24 Mandela Washington Fellows gathers around a UC Davis sign on a short brick wall on the UC Davis campus. — The 2024 UC Davis Mandela Washington Fellows on a campus tour on June 20, 2024. (Ryley Sakai/UC Davis)

2024 Mandela Washington Fellows Arrive in Davis

by Jana Sanders Perry
June 24, 2024

For the next six weeks, UC Davis will host 24 Fellows participating in the Mandela Washington Fellowship. Representing 20 African countries, this is UC Davis’s eighth cohort since 2016. Fellows will participate in the Leadership in Public Management Institute at UC Davis, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. Global Affairs encourages the campus community to reach out to this year’s Fellows for information exchange, collaborations and other networking now through the end of the institute in July.  

“We are thrilled to welcome the 2024 Mandela Washington Fellows and eager to introduce them to the UC Davis community,” said Joanna Regulska, vice provost and dean of UC Davis Global Affairs. “I encourage students, faculty, researchers and staff to take some time this summer to get to know these amazing Fellows because there are many opportunities for collaboration.”

Six-Week Institute Begins

“Our schedule is filled with learning and networking opportunities, activities, visits, collaborations and mentorship,” said Jennie Konsella-Norene, administrative director of the Mandela Washington Fellowship in UC Davis Global Affairs. “All of these experiences complement the science-based public management and leadership strategies we focus on in the program.”

Fellows will build practical knowledge and leadership capacity in topics such as public management, community engagement, transportation, climate and energy policy, food security, local government and social equity and the intersection of public health as part of the Leadership in Public Management Institute at UC Davis. During their time on campus, they will continue to develop their leadership skills through public speaking, training and networking.

Speakers and special guests this year include Chancellor Gary S. May, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Mary Croughan, Vice Provost and Dean Joanna Regulska, along with faculty members and community partners, including the mayor of Davis, Josh Chapman.

Getting to Know the Fellows

“This year’s cohort is comprised of 24 accomplished experts representing fields such as energy, engineering, conservation, medicine and public health, just to name a few,” said Karen Beardsley, academic director of the Mandela Washington Fellowship in UC Davis Global Affairs. “Each Fellow already has an impressive resume this early in their career. We are excited for the rest of the university to meet them.”

Established in 2014, the Mandela Washington Fellowship–the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI)–empowers young African leaders through academic coursework, leadership training, mentoring, networking, professional opportunities and local community engagement. YALI was created in 2010 and supports young Africans as they spur economic growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance, and enhance peace and security across Africa. Since 2014, the U.S. Department of State has supported nearly 6,500 Mandela Washington Fellows from across Sub-Saharan Africa to develop their leadership skills and foster connections and collaboration with U.S. professionals. The cohort of Fellows hosted by UC Davis is part of a group of 700 Mandela Washington Fellows hosted at 28 educational institutions across the United States.

UC Davis has hosted the Mandela Washington Fellowship since 2016. In total, UC Davis has now welcomed and connected with more than 200 Fellows from more than 35 countries. While at UC Davis, Fellows participate in collaborative programming, connecting with departments and partners across the Davis and Sacramento campuses and the local community.