Stanford Impact Labs Welcomes Eleven Scholars into the 2025-26 Faculty Fellowship
Now in its seventh year, the SIL Design Fellowship supports faculty dedicated to producing actionable science that can benefit the public good
At Stanford Impact Labs (SIL), a new academic year means a new cohort of faculty fellows immersed in impact-focused research projects. As fall quarter approaches, I am delighted to welcome our seventh cohort of Design Fellows. This year brings together a larger and even more interdisciplinary and diverse group of faculty, all of whom are committed to using their research skills to make progress on challenging social issues.
The Stanford Impact Labs Design Fellowship is a 10-month fellowship that grants Stanford faculty from across the university not only funding, but also the structured space to step back and reflect on their impact goals while shaping a research project that puts scientific insights to use for society.
Core to the fellowship is the inquiry-based work of engaging with external stakeholders to identify potential users of research insights, and designing projects to ensure that the science produced is actionable and has a clear pathway to impact. I am thrilled to introduce the 2025-26 faculty cohort and their projects below. The SIL team looks forward to supporting this group and their work in the year ahead.
Alyce Adams, Professor of Health Policy, Epidemiology and Population Health, will work with the Queen’s Health System in Hawaii to implement novel AI-based detection and monitoring approaches for Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy.
Lukas Althoff, Assistant Professor of Economics, will seek to address potential biases that may emerge with the increased use of AI in scientific research.
Jo Boaler, Professor of Education, will work with educators and parents to promote mathematics teaching best practices designed to support students to enjoy the subject and achieve at high levels.
Jennifer Burney, Professor of Environmental Social Sciences and Earth System Science, will engage with governments and civil society organizations to better address the impact of seasonality (and changes in seasonality) on agricultural productivity, food and nutrition security, and economic development.
Ayana Omilade Flewellen, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, will explore partnerships and approaches that improve practices of stewardship, conservation, and preservation in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Prasanna Jagannathan, Associate Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases) and of Microbiology and Immunology, will work with partners to develop malaria prevention policy frameworks, funding mechanisms, and effective implementation strategies that are needed to move from scientific innovation to roll-out across different regions.
Ömer Karaduman, Assistant Professor of Operations, Information, and Technology, will work with policy partners and utility companies to develop policies and market designs that ensure all households benefit from the energy transition.
Grant Parker, Associate Professor of Classics and African & African American Studies, will work with museums and schools in South Africa to develop scalable methodologies to preserve suppressed histories.
William Tarpeh, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering, will explore how to integrate new technologies into cost-effective, scalable, and sustainable sanitation solutions.
Madalina Vlasceanu, Assistant Professor of Environmental Behavioral Sciences, will work with international partners to identify and implement the most effective approaches for promoting collective action on climate.
Gabrielle Wong-Parodi, Associate Professor of Earth System Science, will work with the American Red Cross to design and test interventions that support households to rebuild homes following climate disaster in a way that supports more sustainable and equitable societies.