Professor Christopher Blattman Receives Inaugural UChicago Academic Communicators Network Award

Since it was established in early 2018, the Academic Communicators Network (ACN) has helped hundreds of University of Chicago faculty share their field-defining research and expertise more effectively with the public. Developed as a partnership between the Office of the Provost and University Communications, the ACN offers sessions on media training, presentation delivery and digital communications throughout the academic year.

In recognition of outstanding contributions to elevate the visibility of their scholarship, increase engagement with the public and reinforce the eminence of the University during the past year, three UChicago faculty members have been named winners of the inaugural Academic Communicators Network Excellence Awards. Prof. Christopher Blattman of Harris Public Policy won the award for digital communications, alongside fellow UChicago professors Aziz Huq for media relations and Daniel Johnson for op-ed writing.

“The role of the ACN is more important than ever in today’s news environment,” said Paul M. Rand, vice president for communications. “Academic experts rank among the most credible sources of information and giving our scholars greater support and opportunities to present their evidence-based research is critical. These awards are a wonderful reflection of the impact of their work.”

The award for digital communications recognizes the faculty member or academic who found innovative ways to highlight their research and scholarship on digital channels.

Blattman, the Ramalee E. Pearson Professor of Global Conflict Studies at the Harris School of Public Policy and the Pearson Institute, is an economist and political scientist who studies conflict, crime and poverty around the world. He leverages his own channels to share his research and perspectives with more than 82,000 Twitter followers, including reporters from the Washington Post, Axios, the Los Angeles Times and NPR, as well as fellow academics, government leaders and influencers.

Blattman has prioritized making research more accessible to the public, sharing his findings and inviting guest writers to publish on his well-trafficked blog.

Other awards

Media relations

In the past year, University Communications fielded more than 1,000 media requests through the ACN. The media relations award recognizes the faculty member or academic who demonstrates leadership while working with online, broadcast and print news media to promote their research and scholarship.

The Frank and Bernice J. Greenberg Professor of Law, Aziz Huq comments frequently in publications such as The New York Times, Washington Post, Politico, and Time, as well as broadcast outlets, offering his perspective on U.S. Supreme Court proceedings and other current issues, such as the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol and ongoing attempts to ban the teaching of critical race theory.

The co-author of How to Save a Constitutional Democracy, Huq appears frequently in the University’s weekly “Monday Outlook” newsletter for journalists.

Op-ed writing

The op-ed writing award recognizes the faculty member or academic who writes insightful op-eds and has received recognition in noteworthy publications, sharing their research and scholarship with external audiences.

A professor of pediatrics and the chief of academic pediatrics and pediatric infectious diseases at UChicago Medicine, Daniel Johnson argued that it is safe to provide in-person instruction for children during the pandemic, as long as schools follow proper safety protocols.

Through a series of co-authored op-eds in national and local publications such as The New York Times, USA Today, and the Chicago Sun-Times, Johnson outlined how educators could provide children with safe, in-person instruction and the psychosocial consequences of not doing so.