India Summer Fellow, 2026
Najath Mahonaj is a second-year undergraduate student (College ’28) planning to double major in Computer Science and Environment, Geography, and Urbanization (CEGU), with a minor in South Asian Languages and Civilizations. On campus, she serves on the Undergraduate Student Government Committee on Campus Sustainability Council, works as a Journeyperson at Phoenix Farms, and is a cheerleader for UC Cheer. She is also an Alumni Relations and Development Student Assistant at the UChicago Lab School and has completed the Green Data program through Career Advancement. Last summer, Najath participated in the Wanxiang Ambassador Fellows program in China, where she studied clean energy systems and job-shadowed at a battery factory. Growing up in the Bronx, NYC, she observed how wealth disparities influence climate vulnerability, and through the Summer Fellows Program, she is excited to tackle how socioeconomic inequality shapes climate challenges across urban and rural communities.
“This program has been nothing short of an absolutely enriching and memorable experience. I’ve learned so much, not just from engaging lectures, but also from hands-on field visits and from working on projects with the Ahmedabad University students to create tangible solutions to climate challenges such as the clean energy transition, heatwaves, flooding, and air quality. I leave this fellowship with lifelong friendships and a new perspective on climate impacts and solutions that I will take with me to the environmental data science field.”