COLLEGE FREE SPEECH ADVOCATE
- Director of Think Again @ UVA, which helps students thrive through events and workshops that promote viewpoint diversity, free speech, intellectual humility, and critical thinking.
- Think Again is part of the Karsh Institute of Democracy at UVA.
- Think Again works with a variety of student groups to organize “Free Speech Fridays” with events such as student debates and workshops such as “Disagree with a Professor.”
- Founder of the annual UVA Student Oratory Contest, in which students write and deliver speeches about the values of our democracy; judging panel is comprised of former presidential speechwriters from both parties.
- Currently working with the VA250 steering committee to take the Oratory Contest statewide in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, written by UVA founder Thomas Jefferson.
- Co-founded the UVA chapter of Heterodox Academy — a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization for faculty and staff who support viewpoint diversity, open inquiry, and constructive disagreement in higher education.
- UVA chapter is now one of the largest in the country.
- Received the national 2024 Heterodox Academy Open Inquiry Leadership Award, one of five national annual awards from the organization.
- Served on the UVA Committee on Free Expression and Free Inquiry, which crafted the University’s Statement on Free Speech in 2022.
- The statement was endorsed by UVA President Jim Ryan, the Board of Visitors, and the Faculty Senate.
SPEAKING AND MEDIA INQUIRIES
To request Mary Kate for a speaking or media appearance, please fill out the form below: