Lender Center for Social Justice student fellows conclude their research with a public presentation of their findings. This group discussed the research they conducted in Santiago.
5 Join Project Mend as Lender Center for Social Justice Student Fellows
Five students have been selected as Lender Center for Social Justice student fellows to work on the editorial and production teams of Project Mend, an award-winning community writing initiative led by Patrick W. Berry, associate professor of writing and rhetoric in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) and the Lender Center’s 2026-28 Lender Faculty Fellow.
Project Mend staff work with people impacted by the criminal legal system to produce writing, podcasts, films and other public-facing media.
The student fellows will join the initiative for two years and conduct research and assist with media production. They will present their work at a symposium in spring 2028.
2026-28 Student Fellows
Carissa Bayack is a first-year doctoral student in English in A&S. Her research examines wrongful convictions and reveals how the criminal legal system is built on narratives, from police reports to courtroom trials to mainstream media. She is a first-generation college student who plans to pursue a career in academia or nonprofit work.
Megan Ho ’28 is a triple major in television, radio and film in the Newhouse School of Public Communications and a law, society and policy and policy studies major in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. She is a Renée Crown University Honors Program scholar and a Maxwell Citizenship Scholar for Community Impact. She has experience in legal advocacy and nonprofit fundraising and research.
Chloe Mosquera ’30 is a double major in policy studies and economics in the Maxwell School and is a Renée Crown scholar. Her interests include equitable public policy and research as a way to expand opportunities for underserved communities.
Shontoria “Tori” Pratt G’19 is a doctoral student in the School of Education. Their research examines how discrimination, oppression and abuse have reduced opportunities and quality of life for Black and queer students in Chicago.
Elise Wallace is a doctoral student in composition and cultural rhetoric in A&S. She researches how people’s language backgrounds and life experiences shape the choices they make when they write and speak. She has taught writing in classrooms and community settings for 10 years.
Berry founded Project Mend in 2022. His work won the Syracuse Prize from CNY Arts and was recognized by the Coalition for Community Writing Outstanding College-Community Partnership Award.
