Public scholarship must take precedence over prestige for the 21st century scholar. The public is echoing Janet Jackson’s refrain “what have you done for me lately?” to universities with wary gazes, wondering what their return on investment is. The insularity of academia’s prestige system: publishing in top peer-reviewed journals, departmental and university-wide awards, etc., are far from the “coin of the realm” when it comes to those standing outside of the ivory tower.