In partnership with top universities and foundations, the OpEd Project launched the Public Voices Fellowship to increase the range of voices and quality of ideas shared around the world. This fellowship offers an avenue for experts from underrepresented groups to be positioned as public thought leaders in their field and contribute to the national dialogue around important issues.
UT Austin remains one of the only public institutions to participate in this program. Faculty members from across UT Austin continued their participation and were included in the program’s seventh (2021) and eighth (2022) cohorts. To date, 135 UT Austin Fellows have produced over 500 pieces of thought leadership, including op-eds, expert quotes, keynote speeches, and more. Their ideas have appeared in print and news media, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, US News & World Report, CNN, TIME, NPR, and the Austin American-Statesman to name a few.
“Scholarship has long existed across diverse communities but historically the voices of female scholars and scholars of color have been overlooked and ignored,” said Jennifer Keys Adair, associate professor for Curriculum and Instruction in College of Education and Chair of the Op-Ed Project Public Voices Board at UT Austin. “Our hope is that the Public Voices Fellowship helps change that. Our entire community thrives when voices from every group and background are driving the conversations.”
Many of these faculty contributions have led to an impact in the academic and public sphere, driving expert citations, demand for book contracts and sparking community initiatives.
For more information on the program please visit their website at www.theopedproject.org.