Associate Professor Maria Bonn, Teaching Assistant Professor Haileleol Tibebu, and Assistant Professor Travis L. Wagner are among the twenty faculty from the University of Illinois System who were selected for the 2025–2026 cohort of the Public Voices Fellowship. The program is part of a national initiative led by The OpEd Project to help experts from underrepresented groups to be positioned as public thought leaders in their fields and contribute to the national dialogue around important issues.
Members of the cohort will attend four sessions during the academic year and will be paired with a journalism mentor for individual editing and coaching, with the goal of publishing two or more op-ed pieces during the program. Those who complete the one-year fellowship will join a national network of peers, allowing for knowledge-sharing and innovation across multiple institutions.
Bonn's work focuses on scholarly communication and publishing. Her latest work explores how scholars and the librarians that support them are responding to shifts toward openness in data, publishing, the conduct of science, and education. She holds a PhD in American literature from SUNY Buffalo.
Tibebu's research and teaching interests include responsible AI, AI policy and governance, algorithmic fairness, and the intersection of technology and society. He earned his PhD in artificial intelligence from Loughborough University London.
Wagner's research explores the social and technical challenges and opportunities informing how LGBTQIA+ communities digitally curate and preserve their identities, histories, and culture and identifies the roles and responsibilities of institutions in aiding that work. Wagner holds a PhD in information science from the University of South Carolina.