Sanford Alum '09 Jin Soo Huh: Don't Ignore the Road Less Traveled

After 15 years in Brazil’s federal government, Marcelo Gonçalves came to Duke to answer a question he could not ignore: why do policies that look strong on paper deliver such different results in practice?

Sanford’s 2026 student commencement speaker brings a clear sense of purpose to a journey shaped by service, disruption, and discovery.

Smriti Sharma (MIDP’14) draws on her roots in journalism and training at Sanford to shape global policy conversations, advancing collaboration across sectors and borders in her role as Head of Policy & Strategy at Apple in India.