Two Columbians Named Knight-Hennessy Scholars

The Knight-Hennessy Scholars program seeks to cultivate and support a multidisciplinary and multicultural community of graduate students from around the world at Stanford University, aiming to do so through engaging experiences that prepare their fellows to be creative, visionary, courageous, and collaborative leaders that address some of the most complex challenges facing the world.

Congratulations to Feven Naba, SEAS’24 and Coleman Sherry, CC’21 who have been named 2024 Knight-Hennessy Scholars, thus joining this premier fellowship community at Stanford University. As members of the seventh cohort, Feven and Coleman have been recognized for their independence of thought, purposeful leadership, and civic mindset - all guiding selection criteria for the Knight-Hennessy.

Feven Naba, SEAS'24

Feven Naba, SEAS'24

Feven Naba, from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, will pursue a PhD in mechanical engineering with a focus on microfluidic diagnostic devices at Stanford School of Engineering next year. She is graduating from Earlham College and Columbia University as a dual-degree student in physics and biomedical engineering. Feven aspires to make healthcare more affordable and accessible, particularly in resource-limited settings, by developing innovative medical devices. During her junior year, with the support of Projects for Peace, she established the “Techiyalesh Initiative,” a mentorship program tailored to female students in Ethiopia pursuing STEM disciplines. Beyond the Projects for Peace grant, Feven also received the American Chemical Society Undergraduate Award in Analytical Chemistry, the Jerry and Evelyn Bishop Scholarship, and the George Van Dyke Distinguished Student in Physics Award from Earlham College.
Coleman Sherry, CC'21

Coleman Sherry, CC'21

Coleman Sherry, originally from Portland, Oregon and a current resident of New York City, will pursue a JD at Stanford Law School. He graduated summa cum laude from Columbia College in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in history where he further cultivated his interest in modern history, environmental policy, and public institutions, and hopes to work in government or public interest environmental law following his time at Stanford. He spent four years working on the Obama Presidency Oral History project at Columbia’s Incite Institute as well as completed a senior thesis which explored the role of phrenology in the popular coverage of large corporations in the United States around the turn of the 20th century. For this work, Coleman received the Garrett Mattingly Prize and the Carl B. Boyer Memorial Prize in the History of Science.

Columbia students and alums interested in learning more about and applying for the Knight-Hennessy Scholarship and other fellowship programs are encouraged to connect with advisors at Undergraduate Research and Fellowships.

Photo credit to Carolyn Fong Photography.

Related Program(s): 
Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program