Ava Motes is a Research Associate at the Center for Media Engagement. She holds a B.A. in Plan II Honors and a B.J. in Journalism from The University of Texas at Austin, where she graduated through the Moody College Honors Program.
As an undergraduate, Ava explored how newsrooms can ethically leverage emerging technologies — particularly artificial intelligence and social media — to address reporting challenges and better serve audiences. Her honors thesis, Adapting to Algorithms: The Role of Artificial Intelligence in the Future of Local News, received the Model Thesis distinction from the Plan II Honors Program. She also put her research into practice by helping design a build-your-own travel list feature for Texas Highways, which transformed the magazine’s website into a more holistic reader resource.
In addition to research, Ava is passionate about mentoring the next generation of communicators. She spent two years coaching student journalists at the Moody Writing Support Program, and also elevated emerging writers as the Publicity Manager for Apricity, UT’s international literary and arts magazine.
Outside of academics, Ava has worked for several years as a freelance journalist, telling stories that spotlight Texas food, culture, and civic life. Her byline has appeared in the Alcalde, The Daily Texan, Edible Austin, Edible Houston, Edible San Antonio, and Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine, among others. When she’s not writing, Ava loves reading fiction, hiking, crocheting, hunting for vintage treasures, and seeing live music around Austin.