Olivia Fu, Urban Studies Senior, selected as 2023-24 Tom Ford Fellow in Philanthropy

Olivia Fu, a senior majoring in Urban Studies and a minor in Creative Writing, has been selected as a Tom Ford Fellow in Philanthropy for 2023-24. The Tom Ford Fellowship in Philanthropy honors the legacy and life of Tom Ford (1921-1998). Created in 2001, the Tom Ford Fellowship in Philanthropy aims to provide young professionals with intensive, mentored experiences in domestic foundations in order to educate Stanford graduates about philanthropy in society. 

As an Urban Studies major and Creative Writing minor, these interdisciplinary educational fields have encouraged Olivia to focus on areas of urban health, environmental justice, storytelling, and the built environment. Her honors thesis included conducting research on the psychological impacts of gentrification on long-term residents near the University of Southern California. 

Olivia has participated in various areas within her four years at Stanford. In her first year, she worked with service workers in SCoPE 2035, Students for Workers' Rights, and Habla. These experiences opened her eyes as to how powerful institutions for the public good can actually reinforce injustice and inequality. As she is finishing her fourth year at Stanford, she had the opportunity to help design and teach the Just Transitions Policy Lab, a Cardinal Course that brought student together with local community partners to research environmental justice and housing issues in Stanford's local community. 

With this opportunity as a selected Tom Ford Fellow, Olivia is excited to investigate how philanthropy plays a role in shifting centers of power and democratizing wealth for a more just future.