Scholars play a vital role in helping our communities better understand social issues of the moment. This event both encourages and offers tools for scholars to translate their research to advance critical thinking and inform everyday decision making to broad audiences, including for families, community leaders, and policymakers. Speakers include researchers and journalists with experience writing for the public who will share suggestions on how to write and communicate effectively for broad and diverse audiences. They will also share their experiences writing across public platforms. Attendees will consider how they can contribute to deeper understanding and constructive dialogue on complex, often polarizing topics.

Moderator: Rita Shah, Associate Professor of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminology at Eastern Michigan University

Panelists:
-Manoucheka Celeste, Associate Professor in Gender and Women’s Studies at the University of Illinois Chicago
-Kevin Cokley, Associate Chair for Diversity Initiatives & Space Management; University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan
-Edvige Jean-François, Executive Director of the Center for Studies on Africa and Its Diaspora at Georgia State University

Attendees will have an opportunity to register for a follow-up session to workshop pitches for Spark, a publication by the National Center for Institutional Diversity. Spark is an open-access publication that offers timely and scholarly-informed content. Readers gain a general level of understanding on historical and current social issues so that they can make informed decisions that affect them, their families, and communities. Uniquely positioned at the intersection of academic journals and popular media, Spark’s review process draws from peer-reviewed academic practices and promotes well-informed essays.