The University of Virginia’s Karsh Institute of Democracy engages practitioners, scholars, and students from a wide range of disciplines and sectors to deepen understanding of and strengthen support for democratic institutions and principles.
Practitioner Fellows
Each year, the Karsh Institute collaborates with active professionals from various sectors and backgrounds who are working to advance good governance and meaningful engagement in civic life.
Meet the Karsh Institute’s current cohort of Practitioner Fellows:
Jamelle Bouie
Distinguished Practitioner Fellow, UVA’s Karsh institute of Democracy
Columnist, New York Times
Oren Cass
Distinguished Practitioner Fellow, UVA’s Karsh Institute of Democracy
Founder and Chief Economist, American Compass,
Past Practitioner Fellows
Learn more about previous cohorts of practitioners who have worked with the Karsh Institute.
NEWS
Jamelle Bouie, Oren Cass, Yuval Levin, and Melissa Murray Join the Karsh Institute as Distinguished Practitioner Fellows
Four thought leaders from different fields are working with us to examine what keeps American democracy going—and how we can make it stronger.
Faculty Fellows
The Karsh Institute’s Faculty Fellows program brings together scholars from across UVA and other top universities to collaborate on research, teaching, and public engagement related to democracy. Fellows contribute their disciplinary expertise while advancing the Institute’s interdisciplinary work on the ideas and institutions that have shaped—and continue to shape—democracy.
Discover more about the Karsh Institute Faculty Fellows’ scholarship and areas of expertise:
Andrew Block
Faculty Fellow, UVA’s Karsh Institute of Democracy
Professor of Law, UVA School of Law
Laurent Dubois
Faculty Fellow, UVA’s Karsh Institute of Democracy
John L. Nau III Bicentennial Professor of the History & Principles of Democracy and Professor of History
Director, UVA’s Digital Technology for Democracy Lab
Justene Hill Edwards
Faculty Fellow, UVA’s Karsh Institute of Democracy
Professor of History, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Justin H. Kirkland
Faculty Fellow, UVA’s Karsh Institute of Democracy
Professor of Politics, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Peter Maillet
Faculty Fellow, UVA’s Karsh Institute of Democracy
Professor of Practice in Commerce, McIntire School of Commerce
Executive Director for Global Strategy
Bertrall Ross
Faculty Fellow, UVA’s Karsh Institute of Democracy
Professor of Law, University of California, Berkeley, School of Law
Richard Schragger
Faculty Fellow, UVA’s Karsh Institute of Democracy
Professor of Law, UVA School of Law
Lana Swartz
Faculty Fellow, UVA’s Karsh Institute of Democracy
Associate Professor, Media Studies, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Rachel Wahl
Faculty Fellow, UVA’s Karsh Institute of Democracy
Professor, Department of Leadership, Foundations, and Policy, School of Education and Human Development
NEWS
Nine Scholars Join the Karsh Institute as Inaugural Faculty Fellows
Drawn from across schools and disciplines, these fellows are united by a shared focus on democracy’s most pressing questions.
Research Fellows
The Karsh Institute collaborates with scholars at various stages of their career to examine and research democracy’s greatest challenges—and the solutions to address them.
Meet the Karsh Institute’s current Research Fellows:
D. Tinashé Hofisi
Research Fellow
Nicole West Bassoff
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, UVA's Digital Technology for Democracy Lab
Josh Brew
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, UVA’s Digital Technology for Democracy Lab
Aashka Dave
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, UVA's Digital Technology for Democracy Lab
Hana Frluckaj
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, UVA's Digital Technology for Democracy Lab
Ehsan Nouri
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, UVA's Digital Technology for Democracy Lab
Sukanya Shukla
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, UVA's Digital Technology for Democracy Lab
Cella Sum
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, UVA's Digital Technology for Democracy Lab
Fernanda Veiverberg
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, UVA’s Digital Technology for Democracy Lab
Jun Yuan
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, UVA's Digital Technology for Democracy Lab
Lizhen Zhao
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, UVA’s Digital Technology for Democracy Lab
Weile (Wendy) Zhou
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, UVA's Digital Technology for Democracy Lab
Student Fellows
Launched in Fall 2024, the Karsh Institute's Civic Cornerstone Fellowship brings together undergraduate and graduate students from across backgrounds, disciplines, and perspectives for a sustained series of conversations grounded in dialogue, reflection, and shared inquiry.
Civic Cornerstone Fellowship at UVA
The Karsh Institute’s CCF offers a sustained, formative experience unlike any other at UVA, treating dialogue as a character-shaping practice rather than simply a set of communication skills.