The Diversity & Inclusion Fellows support the efforts of the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging, help Harvard Griffin GSAS to identify needed areas of support, work with student affinity groups across Harvard Griffin GSAS, and work on projects and initiatives to advance inclusion and belonging on campus.
Interested in serving as a D&I fellow? Email gsas_edib@fas.harvard.edu.
2024–2025 Diversity Fellows
Akhil Thomas
I am third-year PhD student in South Asian religion/Comparative studies at the Committee on the Study of Religion. I grew up in Delhi and dearly miss the three-day long train rides to Kerala, on the southwest coast of India, where my family is from. As a first-generation college student, I studied philosophy for my undergraduate degree at St. Stephen's College, Delhi, and worked with various student advocacy groups and nonprofits in the area. I came to the United States to study the relations between religious vision and social reformation at Yale Divinity School (YDS) in New Haven, CT. During my time at YDS, as the President's Public Service Fellow, I served at Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services (IRIS) where I worked with Afghan resettled students and young adults helping set up and run summer schools.
Why I am a Diversity and Inclusion Fellow
I am a diversity and inclusion fellow because I believe that diverse and inclusive spaces, where students feel like they belong, are foundational to academic life at Harvard. I have seen that students from underrepresented and underserved communities bear the heaviest burden in graduate school. My hope is that my work contributes to making space for a shared sense of belonging for students from such communities. I also hope to further EDIB’s mission by working together with affinity groups and student leaders to advocate for more resources and support.
