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Meet Yale SOM’s 2021-22 Kerry Fellows

December 6, 2021

Five students at the Yale School of Management have been named Kerry Fellows for the 2021-22 academic year. They are among 23 from across Yale University participating in the program, which is part of the Kerry Initiative, founded by Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Change and the 68th U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry YC ’66. Kerry Fellows collaborate with U.S. policy-makers on leading-edge research and high-profile publications for a global audience, touching on issues from the global environment to democracy and technology. Here, SOM’s Shan Agrawal, Drew D’Alelio, Jessica Lee, Robert Lucas, and Neil Noronha share what they hope to learn from the experience.

headshot of Shan AgrawalShan Agrawal ’22

Program: MBA
Internship: BCG, Toronto, Ontario, working to create a new environmental product that would stimulate investments in sustainability initiatives and enable the energy industry to transition faster
Pre-SOM Experience: Climate change consultant, KPMG, India; process engineering consultant, Carollo Engineers, Chicago, Illinois
Education: B.S., engineering, IIT, India; M.S., environmental engineering, University of Illinois—Urbana-Champaign
Climate Advocacy Work: Spoke at the United Nations multiple times as a youth leader and participated in the annual UN climate change conferences at COP24 in Poland and COP26 in Glasgow as part of the delegation of the NGO Citizens’ Climate Lobby

“As climate change continues to turn our ethical fabric into our geophysical reality, I am really excited about the potential to tackle this important topic through the Kerry Fellows program and work with Secretary John Kerry and his team to drive impact. I truly believe that climate change is the greatest contemporary challenge of our time, and I can’t wait to leverage my skills and toolkits to work on helping avert the crises.”

headshot of Drew D'AlelioDrew D’Alelio ’22

Program: Joint-degree student at Yale SOM and Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, focusing on climate and infrastructure finance and international economic cooperation
Internships: U.S. Development Finance Corporation’s renewable energy and infrastructure finance team, supporting the underwriting process for solar, wind, and water projects in Asia and Latin America; the OECD’s sustainable development finance division, helping to write a publication analyzing how financial institutions can shift their portfolios toward sustainable investments; and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, publishing a paper comparing green stimulus packages in the 2008 and 2020 economic crises
Clubs & Affiliations: Co-president, Economic Development Club and Business & Politics Club; Yale Center for Business and the Environment
Pre-SOM Experience: Center for Global Development, evaluating the effectiveness of foreign aid programs and development finance institutions; the National Endowment for Democracy, supporting the grant-making process for civil society and anti-corruption groups around the world
Education: B.A., political science and international studies, Northwestern University

“Growing up in Massachusetts, Secretary Kerry was my hometown senator, so I always looked up to him. His work on the Paris Agreement, Iran Deal, Cuba re-opening, and so much more inspired me to work on global challenges. I am excited to work with him on my key areas of interest: climate finance and global economic cooperation and coordination.”

headshot of Jessica LeeJessica Lee ’22

Program: MBA
Internship: Credit Suisse Financial Sponsors Group, New York, New York, providing execution services to private equity clients across leveraged finance and M&A products
Clubs & Affiliations: Co-lead, Impact Investing Club and MBA Impact Investing Network and Training (MIINT) program; SOM ambassador; program coordinator of Yale Tsai CITY Innovator Teams; AmlifyHer Fellow
Pre-SOM Experience: Special situations equities trader, Barclays, London, responsible for analyzing merger-arbitrage opportunities, monitoring European merger and acquisition deal progressions, and advising global clients on trading opportunities
Education: B.S., business administration major with Asian studies minor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

“What attracted me to the Kerry Fellows program was the opportunity to engage with the world’s most pressing issues, collaborate with thought leaders across Yale’s campus, and understand how leaders at the highest level—including Secretary Kerry himself—analyze critical issues. I strongly believe that capital can propel innovation and sustainability initiatives when allocated wisely. As a Kerry Fellow, I hope to further research how capital can be optimally allocated toward environmental and social initiatives to create greater societal impact and meaningfully contribute to Kerry Initiative projects related to climate change and economic development.”

headshot of Robert LucasRobert Lucas ’23

Program: MBA for Executives; area of focus: asset management
Current Position: Financial officer, World Bank Treasury, serving on the Advisory and Partnership team for central banks and leading Treasury’s first-ever junior analyst program
Previous Positions: Senior advisor, Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA); administrative specialist, Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Education: B.A., philosophy and political science, University of Florida; master of public policy, Georgetown University

“I was first attracted to the Kerry Initiative’s audacity to tackle pressing global challenges through an interdisciplinary fellowship. Honored to join a high-caliber cohort of students hailing from environment, law, and public policy, I see the fellowship as an extension of the SOM mission to educate leaders for business and society. As a Kerry Fellow, I hope to contribute to the Initiative’s areas of focus and apply my background in politics and international development with my SOM studies in finance, ultimately, on a political finance project.”

headshot of Neil NoronhaNeil Noronha ’22

Program: MBA
Post-SOM Position: Boston Consulting Group, Washington, D.C.
Current Position: Lieutenant, U.S. Navy Reserve
Pre-SOM Experience: Pentagon; White House National Security Council Staff; Stanford University’s Hoover Institution; Carnegie India
Education: B.S., foreign service, Georgetown University; M.A, security studies, Georgetown University

“What motivated me to apply to the Kerry Fellows Program was that, more than just offering incredible mentorship from policymakers, academics, and business leaders, the program functions as a foreign affairs/climate action incubator where people of my age across various academic and professional backgrounds can gather and examine today’s pressing global challenges. In turn, I expect that, through collaboration on projects and our discussions among each other, we will better understand and contribute to solving these issues.”