In 2019, Institute for Polarities of Democracy established the Desi Benet Social Change Fellow to honor the role that Desi played in the formation, promotion, and application of the Polarities of Democracy theory. The Fellowship is awarded to a woman PhD graduate who used the Polarities of Democracy as the theoretical framework for her doctoral studies and who is committed to applying the Institute’s tools to further social change. On May 23rd, 2019, Dr. Nicole Hayes, Lt. Colonel US Army (retired), was selected as the inaugural Desi Benet Social Change Fellow.

Desi was Bill’s partner for almost 46 years, from 1973 until her passing in December of 2018. Throughout that time, she and Bill worked as political and social activists to seek racial, gender, social, and environmental equality and justice. Desi’s passionate pursuit of applying the theory to practice, led to the establishment of the Desi Benet Social Change Fellowship.