Taft is pleased to announce that partner Marcia L. Fudge has been selected to serve as the Richard L. and Ronay A. Menschel Senior Leadership Fellow for the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The Menschel Senior Leadership Fellowship brings individuals who have recently served in high-level jobs in government, multilateral institutions, nonprofits, or business to the Harvard Chan School campus to teach and mentor students for an eight-week semester and partake in academic life at Harvard. Menschel Fellows mentor students who aspire to similar roles and collaborate with renowned academic colleagues, exploring important issues pertaining to strategic decision-making and leadership development in public health. Fudge’s fellowship will take place from March 24 – May 16, 2025.

“I am honored to be selected as a Menschel Fellow and look forward to the opportunity to develop and be a part of a leadership seminar focused on public health and policy and collaborate with Harvard faculty and students,” said Fudge.

Fudge is a partner in Taft’s Public Affairs Strategies Group and serves as firmwide Chair of Public Policy. She brings more than five decades of experience working with lawmakers, elected officials, key staff, and coalitions at the local, state, and federal levels. From 2021 to 2024, she served as the 18th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). During her tenure, Fudge led initiatives to increase housing supply, eradicate the growing homelessness issue, end discriminatory practices in the housing market, and ensure compliance with fair housing rules.