Engaging with Communities
Engaging with Communities
Fostering Sustainability in India
After completing his DCI Fellowship, Rahul Mehta (DCI 2021) collaborated with IIT Indore to articulate the mission of the school, design undergraduate and master’s curricula, and identify research areas with the potential for significant societal impact. In December 2025, The Mehta Foundation opened India’s first School of Sustainability encompassing environment, economics and society. Rahul credits the courses he took during his DCI year, as well as Stanford faculty he engaged with for enabling him to turn his vision into reality.
Bringing Solutions to Africa
Nimmi Sankaran (DCI 2023) co-founded “Bridge to Africa” – an advisory and investment platform whose mission is to strengthen East Africa’s food systems and accelerate green transitions in agriculture. The organization curates science-backed innovations in climate-smart agriculture from India, then works with strategic partners across East Africa to pilot, adapt, and scale the solutions with sustainable financing.
Empowering Students to Harness AI
Thomas Merrick (DCI 2020) is a visionary educator and technology pioneer with a passion for transforming learning through immersive experiences. Now at the University of Miami, he serves as Senior Project Manager of XR Initiatives and adjunct lecturer, spearheading projects like UMverse, a groundbreaking virtual reality education platform, and the Miami XR Conference. Tom’s innovative work empowers students and faculty to harness AI and XR technologies for creative, interdisciplinary learning, solidifying his role in shaping the future of education.
DCI Transitions Fair
At the annual Transitions Fair, DCI introduces Fellows and Alumni to opportunities to serve and impact their broader communities after their year on-campus. Fellows meet with executive directors of non-profits, board members, and volunteers to learn more about ways to engage in education and lifelong learning, social impact and civic engagement, environment and sustainability, entrepreneurship and professional development, intergenerational engagement and more.
Explore the DCI Transitions resources here, featuring many of the organizations attending this past academic year’s event. Interested in connecting your organization with DCI Fellows? Please complete this form to submit a request.
Making a Difference in Higher Education
Stanford’s DCI plays a leading role in The Nexel Collaborative, a global alliance of higher education institutions offering midlife transition programs. Nexel offers college and university leaders with a peer network, shared operational resources, best-practice sessions, and collaborative opportunities to help them design and launch programs on their campuses. By hosting member forums and presenting at academic conferences, Nexel endeavors to increase awareness and accelerate the growth of programs for adults navigating late-career transitions and explore what’s possible in their next chapter by going back to school. Since its inception in 2020, the Nexel has fostered over 20 member programs, and inspired many others to consider doing the same.