ENACT Institute Welcomes the Newest Cohort of Faculty Fellows from Across the United States
May 19, 2025
Central to ENACT’s mission to engage college students in the state legislative process are the ENACT Faculty Fellows — a nationwide network of professors who design and teach courses relevant to ENACT’s work.
On May 19, 2025, the Abraham Feinberg Educational Network for Active Civic Transformation welcomed its newest cohort of Faculty Fellows during the virtual Summer Institute.
Cohort Four brings 11 more professors to the ENACT Faculty Fellowship professors from across the United States.
The new ENACT Faculty Fellows:
- Neal Allen (Wichita State University, Kansas),
- Douglas Cantor (Rutgers University - New Brunswick, New Jersey)
- Brian Dille (Mesa Community College, Arizona)
- Holly Foster (Texas A&M University, Texas)
- Keesha Greer-Effs (Berea College, Kentucky)
- Austin Harrison (Rhodes College, Tennessee)
- Daniella Mascarenhas (Xavier University of Louisiana)
- Jamie Palmer-Asemota (Nevada State University)
- Shawnika Perdue-Johnson (Pitzer College, California)
- Delphia Shanks (Hendrix College, Arkansas)
- Emily Stacey (Rose State College, Oklahoma)
All members of this new cohort came together for the ENACT 2025 Virtual Summer Institute, a training convened by ENACT Director Melisssa Stimell and Assistant Directors David Weinstein and Charlotte Powley.
Following a welcome from ENACT Director and Brandeis Professor Melissa Stimell, current ENACT fellows gave presentations on a range of topics, with the newest fellows serving as commentators for each one, sharing their own relevant expertise.
Faculty Fellow Katharine Owens from the University of Hartford in Connecticut discussed “Engaging with the Public,” highlighting how integral public cooperation and favor can be in the legislative process. Owens’ presentation concluded with comments from Brian Dille, Douglas Cantor and Emily Stacey.
Next, the conversation transitioned to a presentation on “Meeting with Legislators and Empowering Students,” led by Faculty Fellow Kathleen Cole of Metropolitan State University in Minnesota, followed by a presentation on “Working with Community Partners,” led by Faculty Fellow Zachary Wood of Seattle University in Washington State.
Institute participants discussed what it means to serve as the liaison between students and their local political community, with the concluding discussion being about how fellows can adapt their current courses, and academic life, to their new involvement with ENACT.
The ENACT 2025 Virtual Summer Institute marks the beginning of an exciting new academic journey for the fourth cohort of Faculty Fellows, while also affirming ENACT’s ever-growing presence in higher education.
As these 11 new fellows begin incorporating insights from the Institute – as well as the broader ENACT framework – into their curricula, they join a nationwide community of educators dedicated to supporting and empowering the next generation of civically-engaged individuals.