GSEHD faculty member Dr. Dwayne Wright has been selected as a recipient of the 2026–2027 Scholars at Risk (SAR) Academic Freedom Fellowship on the U.S. Academic Freedom Track.
The fellowship supports a community of scholars committed to advancing research and public understanding of academic freedom through projects that generate meaningful scholarly and educational outcomes, including publications, courses, workshops, and other forms of knowledge dissemination.
As part of the fellowship, Dr. Wright will pursue a research project titled The Praxis of Protest: Constructing a Theory of Academic Freedom During the Campus Encampments. The project examines how faculty members understood and navigated academic freedom while participating in or responding to the Spring 2024 campus encampments.
The central research question guiding the study is: “How did faculty construct and navigate the boundaries of academic freedom while physically participating in or protesting the Spring 2024 campus encampments?”
Through this work, Dr. Wright aims to contribute to ongoing conversations about the meaning and practice of academic freedom in higher education, particularly during periods of heightened public debate and campus activism. His research will explore how faculty members interpret their professional responsibilities, rights, and roles when engaging in protest and public discourse.
The fellowship recognizes Dr. Wright’s scholarly leadership and highlights GSEHD’s contributions to examining critical issues at the intersection of higher education, democracy, and public engagement. His project will help expand understanding of academic freedom and its implications for faculty, institutions, and society.