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Professor Brothers

@professorbrothers

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Professor of Government & Political Science 🇺🇲
Of course you matter. 💛🌻
@theduediligencecollective

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And we will continue foward. 🚴🏿‍♀️

Thank you, @jpanickerlive, for the opportunity earlier this year to walk and talk about the disparities cyclists from all backgrounds face across the state of Texas. This conversation remains important, and our work continues.

Thank you my wonderful team @theduediligencecollective

The team: @pamsadilla
@gabbyy_th @nikai_draperr @natalie806
@a.w.e_ngo @kylevgraff

And all of the wonderful groups and individuals that we have had the privilege of working with, and will continue to work with, through this upcoming legislative session.

@bikerichardson @bikemartstores @bikedfw @friscotriathlonclub @picklejuice @turbovelo_cycling @wfaa @wfaadaybreak @wfaagmt @the_official_nick_kiernan by @professorbrothers

After an incredible amount of hard work and dedication, I am finally ready to share what I’ve been building.🇺🇲

I am Dawna-Diamond Brothers, the Founder and Principal Researcher of The Due Diligence Collective.

What We Do:
We aren’t your typical think tank. We produce independent, nonpartisan, and rigorous long-form legislative analysis focused specifically on the State of Texas.

Our mission is simple: Constituent-centered research. We believe the public deserves a transparent look at how policy actually impacts our daily lives, moving beyond the headlines and into the hard data.

Meet the Team & Our Fellows:
I’m not doing this alone! I want you to meet the brilliant team and Research Fellows working alongside me. These are the experts helping us maintain a high standard of methodology and ensuring our process remains unbiased and rooted in the public interest.

My fellows bring specialized knowledge to the table to ensure our "Due Diligence" is the most thorough in the state.

How You Can Help (No Cost Involved!):
We don’t need your money—we need your voice. Our research is driven by what you care about.

If you have concerns about cyclist safety, community infrastructure, or any other local issues, please help us by sharing them:

Visit: theduediligencecollective.org
Click the "Voices" tab.
Leave a comment about what matters to you.

Your input directly informs the work my team and I do every day. Thank you for supporting this journey!

I will introduce the team soon.

-DᗡC

#TexasPolicy #DueDiligence #CommunityResearch #CyclistSafety #MeetTheTeam by @professorbrothers

I’m overwhelmed with emotion as I share this update.

A bill I helped propose as a policy analyst during the 2023 legislative session has officially passed, was signed into law back in June, and takes effect on September 1.

House Bill 1211 expands the tuition and fee waiver for former foster youth by extending the enrollment age from 25 to 27 at Texas public colleges and universities. While the original vision was to remove the age cap altogether, this expansion means many more young adults who aged out of foster care or were adopted later in life will have additional time to pursue higher education without losing access to this critical support.

In 2023, I brought this idea forward, hoping it would one day become a reality. While the bill didn't pass that session, the idea stayed alive. In 2025, it was reintroduced by Representative John Lujan and Senator José Menéndez, and now it has officially been signed into law.

I can't take full credit, it was a team effort, but I am incredibly proud to have helped bring this idea forward during my time working in the Texas Senate. I've followed its journey quietly ever since, and seeing it finally become law feels both overwhelming and deeply personal.

Support for adopted and former foster youth has always been one of the causes closest to my heart because I am both. Every step toward expanding opportunity matters, and I hope this is only the beginning.

This moment means everything. 🌻 by @professorbrothers

Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven...🌲

#ultramarathon by @professorbrothers

Great and very important discussion yesterday on road cycling safety, thank you to @theduediligencecollective @professorbrothers @planobicycleassociation @friscotriathlonclub and Bikin’ Mike

So glad we can be part of the discussion and provide a platform for leaders looking to make a change for the safety of all cyclists #advocacy #cycling #bikes #bicycles #safety by @professorbrothers

This week has been an incredibly busy one for my team and our wonderful partners as well as affiliates. Thankful for this work and their incredibly hard work and dedication! @theduediligencecollective 🤍💪🏾 by @professorbrothers

Today wasn't an incredibly fun race for me, but it was a race filled with love, hope, and perspective.

Getting back out there after nearly a year away from training and competing was incredibly difficult. I don't usually share the harder mental battles I face, but today was one of those days. It was a hard finish.

Still, somewhere along the course I reconnected with old friends, met a few new ones, and crossed the finish line surrounded by people who showed up with love and encouragement. That reminded me that sometimes the greatest victory isn't the time on the clock, it's simply having the courage to start again.

I'm especially thankful for the people who kept their promises, showed up, and supported me today. Your presence meant more than you'll ever know.

Thank you @eliojr_costa
@tripossible_team for believing in me even when I stopped training for these past few months. You are already missed. But I will keep moving forward. But I am thankful for new flowers in my life including @pbfit_studio who refuses to let me quit and has held me accountable for my progress over the past month!

I am especially thankful for my husband, Mr. Brothers. You are a damn great husband and my pillar. Thank you honey for being here through all of the seasons of blood, sweat, tears and trying again.

Today was hard. But I finished, and that's enough for today. 🤍 by @professorbrothers

🚲 BIG NEWS! 🚲
I am beyond excited to officially announce the partnership between Bike Mart and The Due Diligence Collective!

Together, we're expanding our Hazard Reporting Tool to help identify dangerous roadway conditions, amplify cyclists' voices, and use real-world data for safer streets across Texas.

We have a long trek ahead, but I'm incredibly grateful to Woody Smith and the entire Bike Mart team for believing in our mission and investing in this work.

A special thank you to Mike Keel ("Bikin' Mike") for being such a blessing in my life. Your kindness, mentorship, and willingness to share your knowledge have taught me so much already. I believe in giving people their flowers while they're still here to receive them, and you certainly deserve yours. I'm thankful for your guidance and look forward to learning even more from you.

Most importantly, thank you Jesus for it all!

This is just the beginning. Here's to stronger partnerships, better data, and safer streets for every cyclist in Texas.
💙🚴🏾‍♀️

#BikeMart #TheDueDiligenceCollective #HazardReportingTool #BikeMartxDDC #SaferStreets by @professorbrothers

Our 2026–27 Team at The Due Diligence Collective

While I won’t be the one leading our social media for much longer, I wanted to take a moment to recognize the incredible people who make this work possible.

What started back in December has grown into something I never could have imagined. We’ve spent countless hours researching, building, advocating, and working toward one goal: making Texas roads safer for cyclists through thoughtful, evidence-based policy.

The pace hasn’t always been easy, but we’ve continued to move forward with purpose and with grace.

To my small but mighty team, thank you. Your brilliance, leadership, dedication, and willingness to serve have made this mission possible. Every meeting, every late night, every conversation, and every challenge has brought us closer to creating meaningful change.

I’m incredibly grateful for each of you and excited for what this next year will bring.

With due diligence,

The Due Diligence Collective. by @professorbrothers

Tis’ the season, and blessed it be. Today was 25 miles of sweat and tears, but most importantly love.🤎 by @professorbrothers

Demi Lovato, front and center with the most amazing team and friends!🤍🎀

Thank you for the amazing seats and experience @bikedfw The Due Diligence is so grateful for you!!!!!! by @professorbrothers

Yesterday was my first big ride since December. After members in my own club were killed, the fear became paralyzing. Even though I wasn't on that specific ride, the trauma and the fear remained, keeping me off the roads for months.

I wouldn't have even been out there yesterday without my incredible partners and mentors at BikeDFW—Heather McNair, Mike Keel, and Matt Peyton. Thank you all for gently pushing me, encouraging me, and helping me find the courage to get back on the bike when the fear felt too heavy to lift.

And then, the day became even more surreal. I got to talk for a while with a true legend in the world and in our cycling community, Chris Phelan.

To have someone who has impacted the WORLD so deeply pour words of encouragement straight into my soul is a moment I will never forget. I am so thankful for his time, his kindness, and the incredible honor of now calling him a mentor.

If you don’t know Chris, he is the heart behind the Ride of Silence. He started the movement back in 2003 after his close friend, Larry Schwartz, was tragically killed while cycling. It was a loss that shook everyone. What started as a local tribute to Larry has grown into a massive, worldwide silent movement honoring every cyclist who has been injured or killed on public roads.

Connecting with Chris and seeing the line that connects him, Mike, Heather, Matt, and the heavy legacy of why we ride was overwhelming in the best way. It’s an honor to learn from someone who took profound grief and turned it into a global crusade for protection and advocacy. My heart is so full, and with this community by my side and most importantly the best team @theduediligencecollective, I’m ready to keep pushing forward. 🚲 🤍 by @professorbrothers