Dr. Lori Lopez, a professor of communication arts and the Director of the Asian American Studies Program, is one of 15 researchers nationwide to be highlighted in the 2024 Emerging Scholars edition of Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.
Diverse editors select honorees from a pool of candidates recommended by various scholars, department chairs, university public information officers, and others.
Each scholar is selected based on research, educational background, publishing record, teaching record, competitiveness in field of study, and uniqueness of field of study. Each leader selected has demonstrated perseverance and tenacity, and each has made a broad impact on the academy.
“I'm very honored to be included among all these amazing scholars from around the country who are all doing amazing work,” says Lopez, who has been heavily involved in UW-Madison’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) efforts for several years and is also a Provost’s Fellow as part of the Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) Academic Leadership Program. “It's an impressive cohort and it’s so nice to be recognized alongside them.”
DeVon Wilson, Associate Dean of DEIB for UW-Madison’s College of Letters & Science, isn’t surprised to see Lopez receive the Diverse honor. The two have worked together on a long list of student- and administrative-focused projects.
“Dr. Lopez has always been a strong partner and colleague when it comes to reaching and elevating disenfranchised voices," says Wilson. "But more importantly, contributing to making the University place where we all have an opportunity to reach our full potential.”
Lopez earns a spot on the annual Diverse Emerging Scholars list at a time when her efforts have moved from classroom teaching to program administration. She describes her efforts in both areas as being driven by a passion for studying social justice and enacting change in real communities.
Lopez currently leads her own research team, the Asian American Media Lab. Last summer, the team surveyed Asian American media audiences about how it feels to see an increase in representation at the same time as there's been an uptick in violence against Asian Americans. She and her team have just begun the process of presenting their findings.
“When I first became a professor, I focused a lot on my research and teaching, trying to learn all that I could about how Asian Americans and other marginalized communities use media in the fight for social justice so I could share that knowledge with my students and fellow researchers,” says Lopez. “At this point in my career, I'm excited to be working more on the institutional side of things, helping to grow programs like Asian American Studies at UW-Madison and creating policy changes in my college and at the university that will shape generations to come.”
For nearly four decades, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education has been a source of timely news, provocative commentary, insightful interviews, and in-depth special reports on diversity in higher education.