“Truth exists. You cannot suffocate it like a fire.” | A supporter spotlight with Michele Irwin
Posted July 9, 2026
As part of our anniversary celebration, we are launching a Supporter Spotlight series to highlight the individuals who make up the strength of the Scholars at Risk Network.
Michele Irwin has been a dedicated SAR donor and advocate for academic and scientific freedom for decades. Working closely with the American Physical Society (APS) and its Committee on International Freedom of Scientists (CIFS), Michele has been an essential partner to Scholars at Risk since the Network’s early years. In this spotlight, she shares her reflections on the evolving landscape of advocacy, the power of incremental change, and why the truth remains the most stable foundation for our collective work.
Looking back over your long involvement in this field, was there a specific case or a particular scholar’s story that first opened your eyes to the vulnerability of the global academic community?
I would not say it was one specific case, but rather the realization of how widespread the problem is. Until I began this work, I simply did not grasp how many scholars worldwide are under threat—attacked for their work, for their beliefs, for speaking out. It was eye-opening to see the scale of the attack on knowledge. Eye-opening and disturbing.
Many charitable efforts focus on immediate physical needs like food or medicine. Why do you feel that protecting the freedom to think is equally essential for a healthy society?
Ultimately, the freedom to think is linked to basic freedoms. Academics and scientists are the people who develop the science that leads to medicine or find new ways to deliver food to communities in need. They also teach the next generation who will continue that work. Beyond that, an attack on a scholar is an eye-opener into the power structures of a government or community. If one person is attacked for thinking, it affects a whole school, a whole country, and a whole generation. We have to recognize these threats to deal with them.
You have had the chance to meet scholars assisted by SAR, including a recent encounter in Trieste with a scientist from Sudan. How do those face-to-face encounters change your understanding of the statistics we read in reports?
While attending a meeting at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy, I just happened to meet a physicist from Sudan who was being assisted by Scholars at Risk. It was a wonderful opportunity to see this scholar thriving and pursuing her career. So often, we do not have a chance to meet assisted scholars but seeing her as a physicist among her colleagues—smiling and pursuing her studies in a safe place—was incredibly rewarding. It was a beautiful encounter, but it also made me sad because it reminded me how widespread the need is.
You have noted that SAR’s work does not just save an individual; it supports an entire family. Why is it important to view protection as a holistic effort?
When a woman from Afghanistan is supported, her daughter is also given the chance to pursue an education. If they had stayed behind, who knows what their lives would have been like? SAR’s assistance has a waterfall effect. It doesn’t just affect that one individual; it can affect an entire family—and generations, because that daughter may have children, too. They will be able to live better lives because of that assistance.
You have worked on countless “Letters of Appeal” for scholars in prison. Even in the face of rigid authoritarian regimes, what gives you hope that the collective voice of the international community still makes a difference?
It can feel naive to write to a dictator like Putin or Castro, but you have to call out the truth. If you stay silent, their efforts to silence others have worked. And these letters do filter down to the people making decisions. I remember a scholar who had been in prison in China post-Tiananmen. He mentioned that after letters started arriving, a guard gave him an extra pillow. It was a sign that the authorities knew people were watching. So letters can definitely have a positive effect. Sad as it is to say, it is an achievement to know that someone on death row is still alive, that maybe they’re getting an extra pillow, that maybe they’re being treated just a little bit better than they otherwise would. These are still achievements that we want.
What is the most meaningful change you have seen in how the world responds to these threats, and what would you say to younger professionals just starting out?
The most distinct change is the shift in culture. Before, people were hesitant to speak out; they would say “that’s politics and that’s not what we do.” Now, scientific associations like my own recognize the need to protect members of our community. Most of the younger people I work with are already more attuned to these issues—and are holding the feet of the older generation to the fire. To the younger generation I would say keep doing what you’re doing. This work is difficult, and the problem is huge but incrementally, the work that you do helps to bring us closer to the ultimate goal.
The theme of SAR’s 25th anniversary is “Truth Matters.” What does that mean to you?
It is a simple statement, but it says everything in just two words. In today’s atmosphere—where opinions are often equated with truth—it is a reminder that truth exists. You can not suffocate it like a fire. Knowing that truth exists gives us hope that ultimately it will win out, maybe not tomorrow, or next year, but if we keep fighting, it will someday.
Join Michele in fighting for truth.