Jeeva Premkumar, an Indian American student at University of Wisconsin–Madison using stem cells to study the structure and function of heart tissue, has been named this year’s student speaker for Winter 2025 Commencement on Dec 14.
Born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Premkumar moved to Kenya for boarding school at age 10 and then to India to finish high school. He moved to Madison in search of a challenge that wasn’t just academic, according to a university release.
“I’ve always loved the sciences. And I’ve loved problem solving,” he says. “I wanted a program where research wasn’t just something you watched from a distance; it was something you participated in. I saw an opportunity at UW–Madison where I could work on impactful science from day one, and that sort of sealed the decision for me.”
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As Premkumar prepares for the commencement speech, he is reflecting on the ways in which he’s been able to make the most of the hands-on opportunities that drew him to Wisconsin.
Premkumar was awarded an American Heart Association research fellowship, which supported his work using stem cells to study the structure and function of heart tissue in the lab of UW–Madison cardiologist Timothy Kamp.
He also held internships with Moderna, contributing to research on new drug-delivery methods, and with Lactalis Heritage Dairy in Wisconsin, where he worked on utility plant upgrade projects. His proudest leap was also a step toward home.
Premkumar won a Wisconsin Idea Fellowship this year from the Morgridge Center for Public Service. Alongside nonprofit Let Africa Live, he has used the funding to expand educational access to children affected by civil war in the eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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In his application for student speaker, Premkumar wrote that he wanted to speak at commencement because he was afraid of the idea.
“I grew here because I kept doing the things that I was bad at, at first,” he says. “Watching my fellow grads grow alongside me has been an honor and a pleasure. Getting to see what they’ve accomplished has been just amazing.”
UW–Madison recently reached a significant milestone with 500,000 living alumni. The university continues to engage in research that impacts both local and broader communities.
It also plays a role in preserving cultural history through its Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research, which houses valuable materials from Hollywood and beyond.