The final convening of the OpEd Project of 2021-22 took place in person on March 4, 2022 at the Lincoln Park Campus. The fellows were joined by mentor-editors Michele Weldon and Heidi Stevens. (Photo courtesy of Carolyn Bronstein)This academic year, 20 faculty and staff received Public Voices Thought Leadership Fellowships to explore their areas of study and expertise through op-ed writing. In partnership with The OpEd Project, a social venture whose mission is to diversify the types of viewpoints in the world, the Public Voices Fellowship trains individuals to increase their influence as thought leaders in their fields and in the community at large.
The OpEd Project provides participants with the necessary resources, mentorship and communication skills to develop their topics and write and pitch op-eds. Fellows attend interactive thought leadership seminars and receive dedicated editorial support from an assigned OpEd Project mentor and editor. This cohort of the OpEd Project included both faculty and staff members.
“The OpEd Project is one of the most vibrant professional development opportunities offered at DePaul,” says Carolyn Bronstein, associate dean and founding director of the OpEd Project Public Voices Fellowship. “Since 2012, we have been helping members of the DePaul community translate their research and expertise for public audiences and weigh in on the most important conversations of our times.”
The op-ed pieces give the scholars an opportunity to share their knowledge with the public and openly interact with relevant social and political discussions. This year’s diverse cohort published 37 pieces in outlets such as the Chicago Tribune, Psychology Today, The Hill and more, covering topics like:
Since launching during the 2012-13 academic year, The OpEd Project continues to evolve. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021-22 OpEd Project ran mostly online. The most recent OpEd Project meeting in March 2022 marked the group’s first in-person gathering in the past two years.
Craig Klugman, professor of Health Sciences and co-faculty director of the OpEd Project Public Voices Fellowship Program, notes, “The group was incredibly productive, energetic, and formed a tight community of scholars motivated to engage with the public and share their expertise with the community at large.”
Bronstein further notes that the OpEd Project gives the fellows lifelong skills that continue to benefit them in their careers. “Past participants often tell us that the OpEd Project transformed them personally and professionally, and helped them to find a lasting, bold voice and the courage and skills to become thought leaders.”
Explore the list of 2021-22 OpEd Project participants and their primary areas of study. You can find published op-ed pieces from current and past years on the OpEd Project website.
- Dan Allen, Senior Vice President Advancement and External Relations
- James Alvarez-Mourey, Associate Professor of Marketing, Driehaus College of Business
- Eric Brown, Assistant Professor, College of Education
- Susan Burgess, Senior Professional Lecturer, Department of Political Science
- Autumn Cabell, Assistant Professor, Department of Counseling, College of Education
- Jocelyn Carter, Professor, Clinical Psychology
- Diane Claussen, Assistant Professor and Head of Theatre Management
- Robert Karpinski, Associate Vice-President, Academic and Library Affairs, Office of the Provost
- Jacqueline Lazú, Associate Professor, Department of Modern Languages; Associate Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
- Laura Owen, Associate Professor, Department of Economics, Driehaus College of Business
- Scott Paeth, Professor, Department of Religious Studies, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
- Mark Pohlad, Associate Professor, Department of History of Art and Architecture, College of LAS
- Abdul-Malik Ryan, Assistant Director, Religious Diversity and Pastoral Care; Muslin Chaplain; Adjunct Faculty; Division of Mission & Ministry
- Anne Saw, Associate Professor, College of Science and Health, Department of Psychology
- Alice Setrini, Executive Director, Jaharis Health Law Institute College of Law
- Heather Snyder Quinn, Assistant Professor of Design & Wicklander Fellow in Ethics, College of Computing & Digital Media, School of Design
- Lydia Stazen, Executive Director, Ruff Institute of Global Homelessness
- Jacob Stump, Senior Lecturer, Department of International Studies
In Memoriam: