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Senior Policy Fellows Program

Through the Senior Policy Fellows Program, globally recognized changemakers join the Policy School to support its mission of educating future policy leaders, advancing engaged scholarship, and driving positive change from the local to the global level.

About the Program

Northeastern University’s School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs is pleased to announce the creation of the Senior Policy Fellows Program, designed to integrate exceptional global leaders from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors into the Policy School community.

These non-funded, non-resident appointments provide Fellows with an opportunity to contribute to the Policy School through guest lectures, collaboration with faculty, mentorship of students, and thought leadership on urgent policy challenges.

Each Fellow will have opportunities to:

  • Bring areas of expertise in core areas where Policy School faculty and students work, such as climate change, resilience, sustainability, transportation, housing, energy, environmental justice, and AI and governance
  • Visit or guest lecture in classes at the Policy School
  • Meet individually with interested Policy School faculty, administrators, and students
  • Mentor Policy School students
  • Consult about professional opportunities and career paths
  • Attend relevant events at the Policy School

Application Process

Nominees must have a demonstrated record of leadership and impact in public service, policy, or related fields. Ideal candidates bring a global perspective and a commitment to fostering the next generation of public leaders. They should:

  • Align with the mission and values of the Policy School in advancing innovative, inclusive, and interdisciplinary approaches to public challenges
  • Be recognized for their contributions to public policy and societal change
  • Demonstrate a commitment to mentorship and engagement with academic communities

Nominations may be submitted by Policy School faculty, administrators, or existing Fellows. Each nomination should include:

  • A brief statement of support (no more than 500 words) highlighting the nominee’s qualifications and potential contributions
  • The nominee’s résumé or curriculum vitae (CV)

Nominations should be sent to Michele Rosenthal at: m.rosenthal@northeastern.edu

Meet the Fall 2025 Senior Policy Fellows

Alison Sander served as Director for The Boston Consulting Group’s Center for Sensing and Mining the Future which tracks more than 100 Megatrends that are reshaping the global strategic map. In that capacity she worked with a diverse set of clients, including CEOs, prime ministers, Board of Directors, top global foundations, and organizations seeking to manage global complexity. Alison has been to more than 90 countries working with clients on complex strategic challenges and developing their foresight capacity. Her work in sustainability and resilience includes founding AltWheels, which won both an EPA and a WTS national award, 12 years serving on the Board of WRI, supporting Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project, and serving as curator for three Planet Action events at MIT Planet Action. Alison has a JD and MBA from Harvard University.

Steve Curwood is executive producer and host of the weekly environmental news and information program “Living on Earth,” which has run continuously since 1991 and is currently is aired on more than 300 National Public Radio affiliates across the U.S. Steve has been a journalist for more than 30 years with experience at NPR, CBS News, the Boston Globe, WBUR-FM/Boston and WGBH-TV/Boston. He shared the 1975 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service as part of the Boston Globe’s education team. He serves as president of the World Media Foundation, Inc. and is a Lecturer in Environmental Science and Public Policy at Harvard University.

Jamel Zarrouk holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Colorado Boulder. He is the Founder and Managing Director of Boulder Consultancy, a Dubai-based economic research and advisory firm, and has served as Adjunct Professor of Practice in Economics at Sorbonne University and New York University Abu Dhabi. Dr. Zarrouk has advised national governments and international organizations on trade policy, development finance, climate-change mitigation, and regional economic integration. His publications address trade, development finance, climate change, global governance, and South–South cooperation. His current work focuses on international trade in plastics and environmental agreements; he recently co-authored a paper on this topic with Prof. Maria Ivanova in Cambridge Prisms: Plastics.