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The Fellows

The Fellows are selected from both undergraduate and graduate students at Harvard and other area universities. They demonstrate a particular interest in the Catholic intellectual and cultural tradition’s engagement with scholarship, the arts, and the professions. Click here to learn more.

2024-25 UnderGRaduate Fellows

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JACOB GENUALDI

Harvard College ‘25

Jacob Genualdi is a senior studying Economics and Government at Harvard College. On campus, he serves as Co-President of the Harvard Undergraduate Economics Association where he helps organize college-wide speaker events and economics competitions for high school students. In addition, Jacob is an active member of the Harvard Catholic Center, leading a Bible study for undergraduates. Originally from Durango, Colorado, he enjoys fly fishing, hiking, and playing piano in his free time. As an HCF Fellow, Jacob is excited to explore Thomistic thought surrounding Theological Economics and its application to modern economic life.

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ISAAC JIRAK

Harvard College '25

Isaac Jirak, a senior at Harvard College, is studying Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Philosophy. His research focuses on developing new and reliable methods for the manipulation of robotic hands in industrial and prosthetic applications. Aside from his academic work, Isaac is involved in several student and professional groups for the promotion of free speech, public discourse, and intellectual vitality. He oversees the coordination of liturgical and formation resources for the Harvard Catholic Center and coordinates guest lectures on campus as a student leader of the Harvard chapter of the Thomistic Institute. His writings have also been published by The Harvard Salient and featured by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. Following his undergraduate studies, he looks forward to a career that bridges the interdisciplinary gap between engineering and the humanities.

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CARTER STEWART

Harvard College '25

Carter Stewart is a senior at Harvard College studying Classics with a secondary in Statistics. Carter is interested in a wide range of topics in history, philosophy, literature, and politics, and how the vibrant Catholic intellectual tradition influences and changes our understanding of them all. Outside of academics, he is a member of the John Adams Society, plays club lacrosse, and enjoys reading, weightlifting, and spending time on the water.

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OLIVIA GLUNZ

Harvard College '25

Olivia Glunz is a senior studying History and Classics at Harvard College. She enjoys reading and writing about philosophy, literature, and political theory and plans to pursue a career in law, academia, or public service. On campus, Olivia plays the violin in a student-run chamber ensemble, writes for the Harvard Undergraduate Law Review, and leads a discussion group on natural law. She is also an active member of the Harvard Catholic Center, where she leads a Bible study for undergraduates and sings in the choir. This year, Olivia looks forward to exploring questions about science and faith, grace and free will, and human dignity through the Harvard Catholic Forum's many programs and events. She is grateful for this opportunity to deepen her faith and her love for both God and neighbor.

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ELLIOTT JONES

Boston College ‘26

Elliott Jones is a junior at Boston College studying Philosophy. He is interested in the history of philosophy, and he hopes to pursue a career in academia. Beyond his studies, Elliott serves as Editor-in-Chief for Dianoia: Boston College's undergraduate philosophy journal, and he is actively involved with the Boisi Center for Religion and Public Life and the Center for Christian-Jewish Learning. As a convert to Catholicism, Elliott is looking forward to engaging in the Catholic Intellectual Tradition and gaining insights within the intersection of philosophy and theology. In his free time, he enjoys hiking and critiquing films.

2024-25 GRaduate Fellows

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CHRISTIAN EGGERS

JD'25, Harvard Law School

Christian Eggers is a third year J.D. Candidate at Harvard Law School. He is interested in a wide range of topics in philosophy, economics, history and literature. In particular, Christian enjoys encountering the breadth of Catholic thought as it touches upon science, ethics, metaphysics, and aesthetics. He is excited to join the HCF as a fellow and explore what it means to live authentically as a Catholic professional.
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CHRIS SIUZDAK

MS'25, Harvard Medical School

Chris Siuzdak is pursuing a Master of Science in Bioethics at Harvard Medical School. He holds a BA from the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC with majors in Psychology and History and minors in Philosophy and Theology. As an undergraduate, Chris served as a congressional intern in the U.S. House of Representatives. A life-long learner, he subsequently earned an MTS at Boston College’s School of Theology and Ministry, a JCL from Catholic University’s School of Canon Law, an MS in Church Management from Villanova University’s School of Business, and a ThM from Harvard Divinity School (’24). He has also served as president of the Eastern Regional Conference of Canonists and chaired the Canon Law Society of America’s Committee on Nominations. Chris continues to teach as an adjunct lecturer in canon law for Saint Meinrad Seminary and is also a Book Review Editor for the Homiletic & Pastoral Review. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking and excursions to historical sites.
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JORDAN VANDERPOOL

PhD ‘28, Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Jordan Vanderpool is a PhD candidate in Romance Languages and Literatures, with a focus in Medieval Spanish Literature. He is interested in the influence of secular and ecclesiastical legal texts on 13th and 14th century Iberian literature. He holds a B.A. in Great Texts and University Scholars, and a Masters in Spanish, both from Baylor University in Waco, TX. Jordan envisions his time in the Harvard Catholic Forum as an opportunity to learn from Catholic authors, poets, and mystics alongside other Catholics, and to foster his intellectual and spiritual growth in community. Outside his professional and academic interests, Jordan enjoys mountain biking, foraging for wild edible plants, and spending time with his wife Annie.
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ADAM ZICCARDI

MTS '26, Boston College STM

Adam Ziccardi is a first year MTS candidate at the Boston College Clough School of Ministry and Theology. He is a native of Buffalo, NY and majored in Religious Studies at Cornell University. His research interests in college centered on the ecological impact of religious pilgrimages, and how material experiences shape perception of self. As a convert, Adam loves immersing himself in the Catholic tradition to grow in his relationship with God. He is particularly passionate about promoting beautiful Catholic music and in applying the tools of philosophy and theology to modern day conflict resolution and reconciliation.
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REED MORGAN

PhD ‘25, Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Reed Morgan is a PhD candidate in History, with a focus on migration and cultural interactions between the Eastern and Western Mediterranean in Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. His research seeks to integrate traditional philology and text-based historical analysis with innovative advances in archaeological science, including ancient DNA and paleoclimatology. He holds a B.A. from Yale University in Archaeological Studies, and M.Phil. degrees from the University of Cambridge in Archaeological Science and Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic. Outside his primary areas of research, Reed is interested in philosophy of history and the dialogue between theology and the natural sciences. He is a convert to Roman Catholicism. He is also an amateur beachcomber, birder, and botanist, and delights in both the beauty and order of Creation.
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MICHELLE VACCARO

PhD ‘26, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Michelle Vaccaro is a PhD candidate in MIT’s Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS), pursuing research focused on combining human and artificial intelligence in sociotechnical systems. Before joining MIT, she lived in New York City and worked at Goldman Sachs in foreign exchange strategy and structuring. Michelle earned her A.B. from Harvard College in 2019, where she concentrated in Computer Science with a secondary in History of Science and a citation in Spanish. St. Paul’s has tremendously nurtured and nourished Michelle during her time at Harvard, on Wall Street, and now in graduate school. As an HCF Fellow, she looks forward to bringing many more people into the spiritual and intellectual community that has given her so much.
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KATE WHITAKER

MTS '26, Harvard Divinity School

Kate Whitaker is a student in the Master of Theological Studies program at Harvard Divinity School, specializing in Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean. She graduated college in 2023 from the University of Chicago, where she studied Classics, Religious Studies, and Law, Letters, and Society. Kate primarily focuses on public religious ceremonies of the ancient world, including weddings, funerals, and sacrifices. For these next two years, she is looking forward to narrowing her research interests before pursuing doctoral studies. In her free time, Kate likes to bake, draw, and brew mead.

2024-25 Postdoctoral Fellow

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SOFIA CAROZZA

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Harvard Medical School

Sofia Carozza is a postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard Medical School and Brigham & Women’s Hospital. In her doctoral work, which she completed at the University of Cambridge as a Marshall Scholar, she used computational modelling to study the impact of childhood adversity on neural and psychological development. Her current work integrates neuroscience with neurology to illuminate the adaptive role of social relationships in brain function. More broadly, her interdisciplinary academic interests include the philosophy of neuroscience, philosophical anthropology, and the relationship between science and religion. Sofia completed her undergraduate work at the University of Notre Dame, where she graduated as valedictorian of the class of 2019.

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