The Healthcare Policy Program at Harvard Kennedy School has announced Maria Zou as the 2026-2027 recipient of the Jerome H. Grossman M.D. Graduate Fellowship.
The fellowship, made possible by a generous gift from the Grossman family, honors the life and legacy of Jerome Grossman, who dedicated his career to strengthening healthcare delivery in the United States. The fellowship supports talented physicians and medical students who share Grossman’s commitment and sense of urgency to bring meaningful change to the healthcare system by enabling them to pursue a two-year master’s degree in public policy or public administration (M.P.P. or M.P.A2) at Harvard Kennedy School.
Zou is a third-year medical student at the University of Michigan Medical School, where she is a Dean’s Scholar and a member of the Gold Humanism Honor Society. She earned a dual degree in biology and public policy from Brown University. Her interest in advancing equity at the intersection of health and public policy grew through her work with Planned Parenthood as a policy specialist and organizer, supporting efforts to expand Medicaid coverage of abortion in Rhode Island. She continues this work as Advocacy Chair of the Michigan State Medical Society student section, where she helps students develop policy resolutions on issues ranging from vaccine education to immigrant insurance coverage. Maria also brings extensive clinical and community experience through leadership roles with the University of Michigan Student-Run Free Clinic and Brown University Emergency Medical Services. She plans to apply to obstetrics and gynecology residency and continue reproductive health advocacy throughout her career.
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