Cassie Barnhardt, associate professor in Higher Education and Student Affairs, was selected as one of the University of California’s National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement 2020-2021 fellows. 

Fellows are selected for tackling challenging and timely issues pertaining to expression, academic freedom and campus climate. 

Over the course of a year, the fellows will research complex topics such as student activism, student leader information networks, targeted harassment of faculty and the relationship between students and campus law enforcement.

Barnhardt's research topic is entitled “Comparing Contemporary Campus Mobilization at Scale: Tactics, Intensity, and Media Attention”. Her research will examine the ways campus activists use different types of mobilization tactics to advance their concerns, and how the press approaches campus-based organizing. Insights will help educators plan for and anticipate the organizational and cultural impact of mobilization in their communities.