Timely topic: National discussions of diversity, access, and equity in higher education-particularly in the wake of SCOTUS's affirmative action decision-have become ubiquitous in recent years. Norris is well-positioned to intervene in these debates.

Accolades: Norris is an award-winning essayist and novelist. His novel The Confession of Copeland Cane received the 2022 Northern California Book Award. His essays have won the 2021-22 National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award in Music, Theater and Performing Arts and the 2021 Folio: Eddie Award. His debut novel Brother and the Dancer received the James D. Houston Award in 2012.

Media track/platform: Norris has written widely in the popular press for outlets including LARB, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and Alta. He has also created Black History Month materials for TED-ED, including a video with over 240k views.

Credentials: Norris has taught at nine community colleges in a diverse array of communities for over 15 years.

Affiliations: Norris has been the Lannan Visiting Writer at the Institute of American Indian Arts and the Rea Visiting Writer at the University of Virginia. He is coordinator of the Steinbeck Fellows Program at San Jose State University and serves as an editor and contributing scholar to the Oxford African-American Studies Center.