Kamal Bell, a two-time graduate of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, is the first Aggie to be named a Loeb Fellow by the Harvard Graduate School of Design.
Bell, one of only 10 Fellows awarded the prestigious international fellowship for 2027, said he is honored and excited — but was tentative about applying at first, because he associated the word "design" with a traditional building architect.
"But how (Harvard) uses it is that anyone looking to change and build systems is an architect," he said. "That is exactly in alignment with what we are doing at the farm."
During their ten-month residency at the school, Loeb Fellows audit courses at Harvard and MIT, exchange insights, and expand professional networks, according to the program’s website. They engage with students and faculty, take part as speakers and panelists in public events, and convene workshops and other activities. Throughout the year, Fellows consider how they might refocus their careers and broaden the impact of their work.
At A&T, Bell earned his bachelor’s degree in animal science in 2014 and a master’s in agricultural education the next year. He founded Sankofa Farms in 2016 with the goal of creating a sustainable food source for residents living in food deserts in Durham and rural areas of Orange County. He also started an agricultural youth academy.
North Carolina A&T alumnus Kamal Bell reads aloud the children’s book he authored at the Child Development Laboratory on A&T’s campus in 2025. Bell was recently named a Loeb Fellow by the Harvard Graduate School of Design.
“Through my experience with the boys I was working with, who were living in really tough parts of Durham, getting them the food didn’t solve the problem,” Bell said.
That observation laid the groundwork for what Bell will focus on during his fellowship, something he calls a civic culture design.
"Fresh food alone does not stabilize communities,” Bell said. “The same families facing food insecurity are often dealing with housing instability, transportation issues, mental health challenges, and a lack of local ownership.
“What happens if we built the other systems around the farm production?” he asked, envisioning farms that include affordable housing, schools and mental health facilities, all on the same acreage.
“Small farms can become anchors that connect these systems instead of each operating separately," said Bell.
Bell’s vision for the fellowship, is not his first break with traditional farming molds. With his son Akeem, he co-authored the children’s book “Akeem Keeps Bees!” — a young person’s practical guide to bees and beekeeping. The book sold more than 10,000 copies and was named one of the Best Books of 2025 by The New York Public Library.
Bell and his wife, Amber — also an A&T alumna — will move with their four young sons to Cambridge, Mass., for the fellowship, which begins in August. Sankofa Farms will operate under the farm’s manager, Bell said.
On the program’s website, Jim Stockard, interim curator of the Loeb Fellowship, noted the diverse interests and backgrounds of 2027 Fellows. “But the one thing they share is a passion to make our cities and our green spaces more beautiful, more accessible, and more just.”
Bell said attaining the fellowship, which has produced about 500 alumni since its founding in the late 1960s, shows the power of having initiative, Bell said.
“I’m hoping is that this can be an inspiration to future Aggies, because when I came out of college the whole idea was to get a job. So, if I didn’t go create my own job, I probably wouldn’t have this opportunity,” he said.
