Currently an adjunct instructor for the University of Virginia’s Politics Department, Mary Kate Cary teaches small seminars for undergraduate students: “Political Speechwriting,” and “Democracy Out Loud,” which studies the greatest speeches in American political history.  Mary Kate also co-teaches “Election 2024” before 500 undergraduates — leading the one of the only political science classes in America taught from both sides of the aisle. In 2021, Mary Kate served on UVA’s Committee on Free Expression and Free Inquiry, which produced the University’s policy on free speech. Most recently, Mary Kate was the recipient of the 2024 Heterodox Academy Open Inquiry Leadership Award. 

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Mary Kate was a White House speechwriter for President George H.W. Bush, served as spokesman for then-Attorney General Bill Barr during the Bush Administration, and as Deputy Director of Communications at the Republican National Committee under Haley Barbour.  She currently serves as the chair of the advisory council for the George and Barbara Bush Foundation, and is the executive producer of 41ON41, an award-winning documentary film about President George H.W. Bush.  For the last three decades, she has written speeches for a variety of business, political, and non-profit leaders. She is a proud alumna of UVA, is married to a UVA alum, and is the proud mother of two UVA alumni.

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You can learn more about Professor Cary here and find out what motivates her in this candid interview from the Authentic: Conversations with Stock & Hicksy podcast.