From April 2-4, PRRI welcomed the 2024-2025 cohort of Public Fellows to Washington, D.C. for a dynamic convening designed to equip scholars with tools to effectively leverage their expertise in shaping informed, impactful public dialogue on religion and public life.
“The best part was meeting everyone and learning about their research.”
Over the course of two days, fellows engaged in generative conversations with peers from diverse disciplines, exchanging insights on collaborative research projects in their areas of expertise at the intersection of religion and LGBTQ rights, immigration, racial justice, pluralism, and reproductive health and rights.
Additionally, they participated in workshops with journalists at national publications, editors at respected academic and trade press publications, and a program alumnus – all who shared practical insights and advice for bringing scholarly work into public conversations.
During a drop-in writing and research lab, fellows dove into the collaborative space to hone their writing, explore PRRI data, and develop strategies for making their scholarship more accessible, timely, and resonant for general audiences.
As the convening concluded, fellows reflected on the critical role and responsibilities of public scholars in today’s media landscape, with renewed focus on disseminating their research into the modern information ecosystem. In the coming months, we look forward to seeing the results of collaborative research projects in their areas of expertise, alongside continued contributions from our fellows that will further shape public discourse in a meaningful way.
