UCOP announces inaugural cohort of UC Dialogue Fellows

The University of California Office of the President is pleased to announce the inaugural 2026–2027 cohort of UC Dialogue Fellows. This exceptional group of faculty and staff, representing six campuses and multiple disciplines, will lead innovative projects that advance the teaching and practice of dialogue skills in the curricular context across the UC system.

Each of the 18 projects will receive $5,000 to support development and implementation of projects in fields such as science, medicine, art, classics and communications. The projects, selected by a panel of faculty and staff with expertise in dialogue or pedagogy across the UC, were chosen for their potential to advance the teaching and practice of dialogue skills in curricular settings. In addition to creating and scaling curricular modules and toolkits, the Dialogue Fellows program aims to build a community of practice that connects and supports existing work across the UC system.

As part of the Dialogue Fellows experience, project leads will participate in a monthly learning community meeting to learn from and support each other in their dialogue work. The learning community will be facilitated by Kumiko Haas, director of engaged teaching for the Teaching and Learning Commons at UC San Diego, and Beth Niehaus, assistant director for the UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement.

This pilot program — a collaboration between the UC Office of the President’s Graduate, Undergraduate and Equity Affairs (GUEA), Institutional Research and Academic Planning (IRAP), and the UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement — launches at a critical moment for higher education and democracy. The ability to communicate across difference is foundational to learning, now more than ever, and UC is proud to invest in this effort.

To meet the inaugural cohort and learn more about their pioneering work, visit the UC Dialogue Fellows website. For questions, contact ucdialoguefellows@ucop.edu.