Fellowships

Fellowships at the Shorenstein Center allow journalists, academics, technologists and media practitioners to join the center’s community to explore the most pressing issues of our changing media and information landscape. The Shorenstein Center has hosted over 300 fellows since its founding in 1986.

a grid of faces of former Shorenstein fellows, including Adam Serwer, Anne Cooper, Miguel Head, Don Baer, Kathy Pham, Sami Mahdi, Jasmine McNealy, Adam Moss, and Koa Beck.
Learn More

Shorenstein Center Fellowships

Each year the Shorenstein Center fellowship brings together a cohort of about 20 leaders working at the intersection of media, technology, politics, and public policy. This virtual, self-directed fellowship is designed for practitioners and scholars who are eager to deepen their thinking, test ideas, and engage with a dynamic intellectual community.

Each fellow pursues an independent project or line of inquiry throughout the one-year fellowship term, supported by regular opportunities to connect with other fellows, Shorenstein Center faculty, staff, and members of our broader research community.

During the fellowship, participants produce short-form public pieces—such as op-eds or stories—which the Center supports in shaping, publishing, and promoting. Fellows leave with a broader network, sharper insights, and a lasting connection to a vibrant research community committed to strengthening the information ecosystem.

A grid of headshots of former DFPI program fellows, including Natalie Bullock Brown, Karen Chien, Sarafina DeFelice, Amy Hobby, Tabitha Jackson, and Kirsten Johnson.
Learn More

Documentary Film in the Public Interest Fellowship

The Shorenstein Center’s Documentary Film in the Public Interest initiative runs a parallel fellowship program that provides stipends and support for documentary film practitioners and scholars to conduct original, self-directed research on a topic related to the initiative’s research agenda. The fellowship has a formal application process which is open twice a year.

Current Fellows

See All Fellows

Jax Deluca

Jax Deluca

Documentary Film in the Public Interest Fellowship
Fall 2025

Patricia Aufderheide

Patricia Aufderheide

Documentary Film in the Public Interest Fellowship
Fall 2025

Azza Cohen
Azza Cohen, a light skinned woman with long dark hair, stands in front of columns suggesting a government building.

Azza Cohen

Shorenstein Fellowship
Spring 2026, Fall 2025

Allison Abbott
Allison Abbott, a light skinned woman with red hair and blue eyes, looks into the camera with a blurred background behind her

Allison Abbott

Shorenstein Fellowship
Spring 2026, Fall 2025

Ben Reininga
Ben Reninga, a light skinned man with short brown hair wearing a dark blue button down shirt faces the camara with a white background behind him.

Ben Reininga

Shorenstein Fellowship
Spring 2026, Fall 2025

Julia Allison
Julia Allison, a light skinned woman with long dark hair, wearing a red dress, looks over her shoulder at the camera

Julia Allison

Shorenstein Fellowship
Spring 2026, Fall 2025

Rakoen Maertens
Dr. Rakoen Maertens, a light skinned man with short light brown hair wearing a shirt and jacket, stands in front of a stone wall

Rakoen Maertens

Shorenstein Fellowship
Spring 2026, Fall 2025

Rebecca Piazza
Rebecca Piazza, a light skinned woman with short reddish brown hear wearing glasses and a blue shirt sitting outside near trees

Rebecca Piazza

Shorenstein Fellowship
Spring 2026, Fall 2025

Steve Johnson
Steven Johnson, a light skinned man with short gray hair wearing a blue suit stands outside near some trees and a building

Steve Johnson

Shorenstein Fellowship
Spring 2026, Fall 2025

Mina Hsiang
Mina Hsiang, a woman of Asian descent with light skin and long dark hair, smiles towards the camera wearing a blue zip-up sweatshirt with the USDS logo on the front.

Mina Hsiang

Shorenstein Fellowship
Fall 2025, Spring 2025

Kira Pollack
black and white photograph of Kira Pollack. Photo credit: Peter Hapak.

Kira Pollack

Shorenstein Fellowship
Fall 2025, Spring 2025

Christian L. Tom
Christian Tom headshot

Christian L. Tom

Shorenstein Fellowship
Fall 2025, Spring 2025

Gabriel Stein
Gabriel Stein

Gabriel Stein

Shorenstein Fellowship
Fall 2025, Spring 2025

V Spehar
V Spehar headshot

V Spehar

Shorenstein Fellowship
Fall 2025, Spring 2025

Ravi Gupta

Ravi Gupta

Shorenstein Fellowship
Fall 2025, Spring 2025

Shuwei Fang

Shuwei Fang

Shorenstein Fellowship
Fall 2025, Spring 2025

Felipe Estefan

Felipe Estefan

Shorenstein Fellowship
Fall 2025, Spring 2025

Tracy Chou

Tracy Chou

Shorenstein Fellowship
Fall 2025, Spring 2025

Leisel Bogan

Leisel Bogan

Shorenstein Fellowship
Fall 2025, Spring 2025

Louis Barclay
Louis Barclay, a light skinned man with brown hair and facial hair, wearing a khaki green jacket, smiling in front of a flowering bush

Louis Barclay

Shorenstein Fellowship
Fall 2025, Spring 2025

Alex Smith

Alex Smith

Shorenstein Fellowship
Fall 2025, Spring 2025, Fall 2024

Megan Smith
Megan_Smith_official_portrait

Megan Smith

Shorenstein Fellowship
Fall 2025, Spring 2025, Fall 2024

Mark MacGann

Mark MacGann

Shorenstein Fellowship
Spring 2026, Fall 2025, Spring 2025, Fall 2024

Ben Monnie
photo of Ben Monnie, a light skinned man with short dark hair wearing glasses and a button down shirt with a dark suit jacket.

Ben Monnie

Shorenstein Fellowship
Fall 2025, Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Spring 2024

Julia Angwin
Julia Angwin, a light skinned woman with short brown hair wearing round black framed glasses and a black jacket in front of a neutral gray background

Julia Angwin

Shorenstein Fellowship
Fall 2025, Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023