EatTheElephant.org is opening applications for an exclusive Fellowship program for just 9 students. This program partners with the internationally renowned Capstone Project at Cal Poly Pomona's College of Environmental Design (CED) to give you a chance to execute real-world research.
This is a high-impact, international research and implementation fellowship designed to significantly boost your application profile while providing high-level extracurriculars and honors.
The Capstone
Every year, Cal Poly Pomona's College of Environmental Design Capstone course selects a site to create a 40-page planning book. The site is usually an internationally renowned project like the Los Angeles Olympic Corridor, London's City Center, Casitiglion Fiorentino in Italy. After 3 years of rigorous study, this final Capstone allows them to apply their education into a real-world project. The Capstone is extremely selective -- only 15 of Cal Poly's Seniors from the entire college are accepted.
The program is run by: Dean Mary Akers and Professor Ray Senes and Chairwoman Jocelyn Pacleb of CSU Pomona. The Capstone is sponsored by esteemed organizations and groups such as: Los Angeles City Council, CBRE, Gensler, The Irvine Company, Nike, DesignWorkshop, and more. It has won numerous awards such as: ASLA, ULI Hines, WEF, Net Impact, and more.
Our foundation, EatTheElephant.org is honored to partner with the Capstone Project and are inviting 12 students to participate in the Fellowship.
The Fellowship
Students will be split into 3 groups to investigate and implement a research project in the following areas: Business, Engineering, Medicine.
The Fellowship is virtual and will run from 11/15/2025-5/15/2026, meeting approximately once per week. Students will work with their team to identify a core issue, investigate the issue via research, and create an action-plan to implement the idea in the community. Students are expected to meet with their group outside of the weekly virtual instructions/lesson. Students must also commmit to fundraising efforts to raise funding for the program and the plan implementation. There is an optional 1-2 week travel abroad portion of the Fellowship to visit the site with the University students and professors during the second week of February.
Key Benefits & Outcomes
High-Level Collaboration: Work directly with:
City Council Members
The Dean of Environmental Science and Professor of Landscape Architecture/Urban Design at Cal Poly Pomona
The Chair of Ethnic Studies at Cal Poly Pomona
Fourth-year college undergraduates on their capstone projects.
Principal and Staff of DesignWorkshop
Published Co-Authorship: You will be a contributor (Acknolwedgement or Co-author, depending on contribution) on a published document that will be presented to city leaders and university Deans/Professors from top Cal State and UC schools.
International Recognition: This program is a top winner in international urban design and development competitions, meaning your project is highly likely to receive international awards.