Dr. Lentz is an accomplished scholar, educator, and administrator with more than 30 years of combined experience in higher education, philanthropy, local and state government, and the information technology sector. She teaches a graduate seminar on Philanthropy and Social Change as part of the Portfolio in Nonprofit Studies at UT Austin. Currently a Faculty Fellow for the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service in the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, Dr. Lentz served 11 years as faculty at McGill University in Canada researching and teaching about the democratic governance of media and technology products, services, systems, and platforms. Prior to her McGill appointment in 2008, she served a six-year tenure as the Ford Foundation’s first Program Officer for media policy and technology where she designed and implemented a strategic vision and plan for a new global portfolio on communication technology and media policy. As the program’s sole grantmaker, she invested more than $32 million in a variety of field-building projects to advance digital inclusion, freedom of expression, media justice, and media reform. In February 2020, Dr. Lentz was invited to join a panel discussion with Leadership Austin at their Engage Breakfast Series focused on Power, Equity, and Philanthropy to discuss the importance of equity in philanthropy. 

Among her other publications, she currently has two books in progress under contract with academic publishers: a monograph on policy advocacy and a co-authored textbook on principles of media governance. In her research, teaching, consulting practice, and personal life, she is firmly committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in society. 

Read more about Dr. Lentz's Philanthropy and Social Change course series in this course highlight. 

Recent Courses

Fall 2020 - (59104) - PA 388L - Advanced Topics in Management - Philanthropy and Social Change

Spring 2020 - 58550 - PA 388L - Advanced Topics in Management - Social Justice Philanthropy