Members of our 2020 cohort came together for the first time in-person recently to build connections and strengthen their spirit of Fellowship as the Program hosted three COVID-safe regional convenings.

Schmidt Science Fellows organized three COVID-safe convenings in Berkeley, California, Washington, D.C., and Oxford, UK to provide the 2020 cohort with the opportunity to join together in small groups to forge friendships, build a community, and to share their experiences as Fellows.

Since joining the Fellowship last year, the 2020 cohort has engaged in all Fellowship programming virtually due to COVID restrictions, receiving a series of training and development programming through regular online sessions. The Schmidt Science Fellows Program organized the regional convenings in recognition of the importance for individual Fellows and the Program’s mission of building Fellowship community in-person.

Fellows participated in in-depth discussions about their science and projects, and shared perspectives on interdisciplinary approaches to global challenges. Across the three meetings, the 2020 Fellows had the opportunity to spend time together, make connections, and share their science. Fellows were joined at each convening by members of the Program Team and Program partners, allowing them to learn first-hand more about the ideas and ethos that underpin the Fellowship.

2020 Fellow, Andrea d’Aquino commented: “The Schmidt Science Fellows community has been critical for each of us in the 2020 cohort to find the support we needed to thrive personally and scientifically during this challenging year.  It was remarkable that we were able to build such a strong community virtually and I think it’s that foundation that made these retreats so wonderful – because when we finally met in person for the first time the personal connections with our colleagues were almost instantaneous.”