The Ford School of Public Policy recognizes Mrinaalika Sivakumar (MPP ‘27) as the 2025 Gerald R. Ford Presidential Fellow. Each year, the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Fellowship is awarded to one of the most exceptional Ford School applicants, chosen for their commitment to bipartisan cooperation and civility, engagement in community service, and intention to pursue a career in the public sector. Sivakumar will receive full tuition and a stipend to pursue unpaid professional experiences and leadership roles in student organizations.
Mrinaalika Sivakumar (MPP ‘27) is a harm reductionist and housing advocate with five years of direct-service experience at the intersection of homelessness prevention, justice reform, and substance-use risk mitigation. She has worked in on-the-ground harm reduction clinics in Massachusetts and California, connecting individuals with housing, health, and legal resources to address immediate needs and structural policy gaps that perpetuate cycles of poverty and recidivism. Sivakumar is pursuing her Master of Public Policy to expand her knowledge in economic policy analysis, systems design, and interdisciplinary research, with a focus on comparative international approaches to strengthen the harm reduction landscape. After Ford, she aims to work in policy research and consulting to help design globally-informed reform policy and social-impact solutions that center the lived-experience of marginalized communities. She is also passionate about policy storytelling and the arts, exploring how creative approaches can illuminate social issues. She has created several zines on the war on drugs and the opioid crisis, and has led art projects with prison and shelter populations, most recently running a mural art project with incarcerated folks in Boston Men’s Jail. She hopes to incorporate creativity and visual storytelling into her policy work, improving cultural policy knowledge by making complex research accessible, approachable and engaging for all. In her free time, she enjoys museums, digital art and outdoor sports.
About the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Fellowship
When Gerald R. Ford returned to Grand Rapids, Michigan, from World War II service, he chose to run for public office. It wasn't because he sought the limelight, but because he believed strongly in a bold, constructive vision for a globally-engaged post-war America—a vision diametrically opposed to that of his Congressional district’s five-term incumbent. The voters agreed, and for the next six decades, Ford never looked back, and never stopped leading. In keeping with President Ford’s legacy, the Ford School seeks to inspire the next century of citizens, public servants, and leaders. Fellows have gone on to build their own legacies, serving the interests of our state and nation by analyzing issues creatively and objectively, identifying actionable policy solutions, and building bipartisan consensus. Read more about the fellowship and past fellows here.