The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University has named its 2025–26 Visiting Fellows. This year’s group includes journalists, artists, faith leaders, social scientists, democracy and human rights advocates, and policy experts. Each brings a record of work that deepens public understanding, strengthens civic life, and connects lived experiences and academic research with real-world impact.
While at SNF Agora, fellows will pursue independent projects that include research, teaching, public conversations and performances, and the development of new tools that serve democracies and those living within them. The program brings new people and perspectives into the university, while creating space to explore big questions about democracy, citizenship, and community.
“These fellows bring deep expertise in their fields and an abiding commitment to democratic engagement,” said Stephen Ruckman, managing director of SNF Agora. “Their work helps us connect theory with practice and invites our community to think more broadly about democracy – what it looks like, who it serves, and how we shape it together.”
Fellows will visit the Johns Hopkins campus throughout the academic year. Some will be on site for the entire period of their fellowship, while others will join for shorter visits tied to specific projects or programs.
The 2025–26 SNF Agora Visiting Fellows are:
Amy B. Becker
Professor of Communication and Media, Loyola University Maryland
Amy Becker is a political communication scholar whose research examines how people engage with politics through popular culture, news media, and scientific controversies. Her work explores how comedy, celebrity, and entertainment shape civic behavior, especially among younger audiences. Becker brings both academic and applied experience to SNF Agora. She works in public opinion research and teaches courses on mass media, political culture, and public engagement. At SNF Agora, she will explore the role of political entertainment in shaping civic knowledge and public trust, building on the institute’s interest in media and democratic norms.
Rosy Sunshine Galvan
Macro Social Worker and Artist
Rosy Galvan is a social worker, muralist, and community facilitator whose work spans public health, racial equity, and the arts. She has led community-driven projects in HIV prevention, LGBTQIA+ health, and systems change across New York, Washington, DC, and Baltimore. Her murals and mixed-media installations create space for joy, reflection, and public memory in historically excluded neighborhoods. Galvan’s presence at SNF Agora reflects the institute’s interest in creative civic engagement and public imagination. She brings a deeply grounded, interdisciplinary approach to civic life that centers on lived experience and artistic practice.
Masha Lisitsyna
Democracy and Human Rights Advocate
Masha Lisitsyna is an international advocate with deep experience working to protect civic space and promote accountability for human rights violations. At the Open Society Foundations and Human Rights Watch, she led programs focused on legal reform, strategic litigation, and support for human rights defenders. She continues to advise networks in Latin America, Africa, and Eastern Europe working on enforced disappearances, memorialization, and transnational solidarity. Lisitsyna’s career is rooted in collaboration with activists and lawyers who face repression. At SNF Agora, she will contribute to conversations on global democracy, justice, and the role of legal systems in advancing human dignity.
Felix Maradiaga
SNF Agora Dissident in Residence
Felix Maradiaga is a political strategist and human rights advocate focused on democratic development and civil society resilience in Latin America. A former cabinet minister in Nicaragua, he has worked across government, academia, and the nonprofit sector to strengthen democratic institutions and promote nonviolence. At SNF Agora, he will examine authoritarianism, exile, and civic resistance in global contexts.
Rev. Johnnie Moore
President, The Congress of Christian Leaders; President, JDA Worldwide
Rev. Johnnie Moore is a faith leader and public affairs advisor with global reach. He has worked for decades at the intersection of religion and diplomacy, focusing on religious freedom, interfaith dialogue, and the role of moral leadership in international relations. Twice appointed to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, Moore has built bridges between religious communities and shaped policy for persecuted minorities. At SNF Agora, he will contribute to discussions about pluralism, the public role of religion, and the ethical dimensions of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.
Reuben Ng
Behavioral and Data Scientist
Reuben Ng is a behavioral scientist and AI expert whose work bridges public policy, analytics, and aging. A former Singaporean government official and Fulbright scholar, he specializes in using data to shape public narratives and advance social innovation. At SNF Agora, he will explore how perceptions and data interact to influence public trust and policymaking in democratic societies.
David Park
Director of Data and Business Analytics, National League of Cities
David Park is a civic data strategist with experience spanning local government, think tanks, and national policy. He leads AI and analytics work at the National League of Cities and has advised federal agencies on equitable data access. At SNF Agora, Park will explore the democratic implications of AI in urban governance and participatory policymaking.
Gabriel Rossman
Professor of Sociology, UCLA
Gabriel Rossman is a sociologist who studies how cultural ideas and behaviors spread through social networks and institutional systems. His research has examined media industries, political communication, and the moral structure of controversial transactions. At SNF Agora, Rossman will study how executive orders and political rhetoric around diversity, equity, and inclusion shape government and private sector institutional behavior. His work aligns with the institute’s focus on democratic institutions, public discourse, and the conditions under which people accept or resist social change.
Daniel Sabet
Democracy and Governance Specialist
Daniel Sabet brings over 20 years of experience in public sector reform, anti-corruption, and civic accountability. He has led evaluations of democracy, rights, and governance programs for USAID and other international agencies. His work connects political science research with field-based program design and assessment. Sabet’s scholarship includes award-winning work on police reform in Mexico and applied studies on citizen participation in public oversight. At SNF Agora, he will explore the relationship between civil society, accountability, and the effectiveness of democratic institutions.
Eugene Scott
Host, Axios Live; Senior Advisor, Harvard Institute of Politics
Eugene Scott is an award-winning journalist whose reporting focuses on identity, elections, and political behavior in the United States. He has covered national politics for Axios, The Washington Post, and CNN, and is a regular analyst on broadcast and radio platforms. Scott explains how race, religion, gender, and geography influence political engagement and public opinion. At SNF Agora, he will continue his work exploring the role of media in shaping civic life and democratic participation, focusing on communities often overlooked by traditional narratives.
Nigel Semaj
Assistant Professor of Performance and Movement Director, UMBC
Nigel Semaj is a director, movement artist, and educator whose work combines physical theater, critical theory, and civic storytelling. Their productions reimagine classical texts and create new works that explore grief, rage, identity, and liberation. As a choreographer and movement director, Semaj uses the body as a tool for communication and community.
We welcome Nigel as this year’s inaugural Artist in Residence at the SNF Agora Institute. In this role, they will explore how performance and embodiment can create space for civic dialogue, collective memory, and political imagination, bringing creative practice into the heart of democratic inquiry. Their work complements the institute’s mission to expand the forms and methods through which civic engagement can take shape.
Benjamin Storey and Jenna Silber Storey
Senior Fellows, American Enterprise Institute
Benjamin and Jenna Storey are political philosophers whose work focuses on liberal education, civic virtue, and the art of reflection in a democratic society. As co-authors of Why We Are Restless, they examine how modern life has shaped our understanding of contentment, choice, and the common good. At SNF Agora, they will continue their work on The Art of Choosing, a book that argues for a renewed role for liberal education in preparing people to live thoughtful, public-minded lives. Their fellowship supports the institute’s mission to connect education and civic life.
Jon Temin
Senior Associate, Center for Strategic and International Studies
Jon Temin is a foreign policy expert and democracy advocate with more than two decades of leadership across government, think tanks, and nonprofit organizations. His work has focused on supporting civil society, resolving conflict, and strengthening democratic institutions. He has served on the U.S. State Department’s Policy Planning Staff and led major programs at Freedom House and the U.S. Institute of Peace. At SNF Agora, Temin will contribute to conversations about international democracy support, U.S. foreign policy, and how civic movements drive political change.