Dear colleagues:
I am delighted to announce the 2026-27 cohort for the University of Illinois System OpEd Project/Public Voices Fellowship. The fellowship is now in its eighth year and offers a unique opportunity led by The OpEd Project, part of a national initiative to help faculty amplify their expertise in ways that contribute to public conversations about pressing issues.
The 20 faculty members in this cohort will attend four sessions during the 2026-27 academic year and will be paired with a journalism mentor who provides one-on-one editing and coaching. Fellows will publish two or more op-ed pieces during the program.
Please join me in congratulating the following faculty who were selected for the 2026-27 program:
- Sarah Baires, associate research scientist, Illinois State Archaeological Survey; special projects research associate, department of anthropology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
- Deborah Carroll, professor, public policy, management, and analytics; director, Government Finance Research Center, University of Illinois Chicago.
- Terri Ciofalo, associate director and director of production, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts; teaching assistant professor, department of theatre, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
- Ollie Watts Davis, Suzanne and William Allen Distinguished Professor in Music; professor of voice; associate dean for academic programs, College of Fine and Applied Arts, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
- Jonathan Dunn, associate professor and director of undergraduate studies, department of linguistics; Conrad Professorial Scholar in LAS, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
- Melissa Fiffer, senior research scientist and communications lead, Children's Environmental Health Initiative; adjunct research assistant professor, environmental and occupational health sciences, University of Illinois Chicago.
- Rochelle Gutiérrez, professor, curriculum and instruction; professor, Latina/Latino studies; professor, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
- Jon Hale, professor and associate head, education policy, organization and leadership; professor, curriculum and instruction; director, Forum on the Future of Public Education, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
- Brendan Harley, Robert W. Schaefer Professor, chemical and biomolecular engineering; professor of bioengineering; professor of materials science and engineering; program leader, Cancer Center at Illinois, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
- Amy Hassinger, novelist and essayist; assistant professor, department of English, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
- Belinda Qian He, assistant professor of East Asian cinema and media studies, department of East Asian languages and cultures, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
- Kathryn Holliday, Randall J. Biallas Professor of Historic Preservation and American Architectural History, History+Theory+Preservation program chair; professor of landscape architecture, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
- Yannick Kluch, associate professor, recreation, sport and tourism; associate professor, European Union Center, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
- Reuben A. Buford May, department head; Florian Znaniecki Professorial Scholar; professor, department of sociology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
- Vanessa Oddo, associate professor, department of kinesiology and nutrition, College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois Chicago.
- Heather Prendergast, professor, department of emergency medicine; vice dean for clinical affairs; executive director, University of Illinois Physician Group, University of Illinois Chicago.
- Talia Ringer, assistant professor, Siebel School of Computing and Data Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
- Stacey Robinson, associate professor of graphic design, design for responsible innovation, and studio art, School of Art & Design, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
- Mirelsie Velázquez, associate chair and associate professor, Latina/Latino studies; associate professor, education policy, organization and leadership; associate professor, history; University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Nitin Verma, teaching assistant professor, School of Information Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Thank you to all who participated in the process, either as nominators or as candidates. We are fortunate to be part of a community with so many dedicated faculty members who are interested in furthering their skills, as well as making their voices heard.
This is an outstanding and enriching experience for participants, and I strongly encourage faculty members from all three universities to apply for the Public Voices Fellowship program in future years.
Sincerely,
Nicholas P. Jones
Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs