The OpEd Project helps faculty and staff 'own their expertise'

As graduate students, professors are trained to write in the formal style typical of academic journals with a niche audience of fellow experts in the field. The OpEd Project coaches faculty and staff to communicate their ideas to a larger audience, with the aim of informing and influencing important social and political conversations.

"The OpEd Project encourages you to set academic jargon aside and think instead about how to communicate your expertise to the general public," says Carolyn Bronstein, professor in the College of Communication and founding faculty director of the OpEd Project. "It helps you put your core ideas and informed opinions into words that are accessible to a wider readership, including legislators and other policymakers who may be working on related issues."

Each year, 20 faculty and staff have the opportunity to participate in the Public Voices Thought Leadership Fellowship as OpEd Fellows. They receive dedicated editorial support from a mentor and attend seminars where they explore how ideas and individuals become influential.

This year's cohort represents the most diverse set of disciplines and areas of expertise, says Craig Klugman, professor in the College of Science and Health and faculty co-coordinator of the OpEd Project. So far, fellows have published in Newsweek, The Hill, Chicago Sun-Times and Ms. Magazine among many others. They've written about vaccine hesitancy among the Black community, gentrification in Chicago and opportunities to reframe civics education in high school and college.

In addition to new skills and published opinion pieces, Klugman says one result he sees is a confidence among fellows. "Taking ownership of their expertise and seeing that it has an effect on the greater world is one of the great outcomes that comes from participants in this project," Klugman says.

An up-to-date list of the 2022-2023 cohort's published works is available on the College of Communication website. Keep an eye on Newsline Daily's DePaul In The News section for the latest published pieces. The Public Voices Fellowship is sponsored by Academic Affairs and the College of Communication's Center for Communication Engagement.

The 2022-2023 fellows are:

• Oluseyi Adegbola, assistant professor, College of Communication
• Molly Andolina, professor, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
• Rachel Bass, assistant professor, Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media
• Joseph Chen, associate professor, School of Continuing and Professional Studies
• Samantha Close, assistant professor, College of Communication
• Okenna Egwu, assistant professor, College of Education
• Rebecca Feinberg, teaching associate professor, College of Science and Health
• Kathie Kapustka, associate professor and elementary education program director, College of Education
• Laura Kina, Vincent de Paul professor, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
• Emily Kraus, assistant director, Global Engagement
• Manoj Mate, associate professor, faculty director of Racial Justice Initiative, College of Law
• Carlos Medina, assistant professor, College of Education
• Christine Reyna, professor, College of Science and Health
• John Schlichtman, associate professor, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
• Stephanie Smith, vice president for human resources
• Carolina Sternberg, associate professor and chair of Latin American and Latino Studies, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
• Chris Tirres, Vincent de Paul Professor and Inaugural Endowed Professor of Diplomacy and Interreligious Engagement
• Lien Tran, assistant professor, Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media
• Kashica Webber-Ritchey, assistant professor, College of Science and Health
• Barbara Willard, associate professor, College of Communication

Mary Hansen is a manager of strategic communications in University Marketing and Communications.