As one of the Discovery Institute intelligent design campaigns, the Institute conducted extensive lobbying and public relations efforts on Sternberg's behalf, including arranging for articles by Institute Fellows to be published in the mainstream press.

In 1990 Wagenfeld was appointed the first Institute Fellow of RMIT in recognition of his role in expanding research at RMIT, especially in Applied Physics.

Institute Fellows reasoned that once the "fact" that a controversy indeed exists had been established in the public's mind, then the reintroduction of intelligent design into public school criteria would be much less controversial later.

In 2001, CalArts hailed his indelible contribution to the arts by conferring on him the title of Institute Fellow, the highest honor it awards to faculty.

He was also among "20 Men Who Will Shape the Next 20 Years" by UK's Esquire magazine in 2011, and an Unreasonable Institute Fellow in 2011.

John H. Hinderaker (Institute Fellow)

Scott W. Johnson (Institute Fellow)

Paul Mirengoff (Institute Fellow)

Elected Institute Fellow of Rochester Institute of Technology.

Institute Fellow and Richard B. Fisher chair at The Urban Institute (current)