Features
Intern Insights: David Maraniss Inside Scoop
David F. Prindable intern Hafsa Faruqi shares her reflections about the HRI Inside Scoop event with David Maraniss.
Student Spotlight: Jessica Vargas
HRI David F. Prindable intern Hafsa Faruqi spoke with Jessica Vargas. Vargas was part of the university delegation attending National Humanities Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C. on March 10–12, 2024.
2024 Prizes for Research Announced
Congratulations to this year's HRI research prize recipients! Celebrate with us at a ceremony and reception on May 2.
Intern Insights: International Women's Day
David F. Prindable intern Hafsa Faruqi shares her reflections about International Women's Day 2024.
2024-25 HRI Fellows Announced
HRI's 2024–25 Campus Fellows represent a range of disciplines and interests from the Colleges of Education, Fine and Applied Arts, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Media.
Intern Spotlight: Jonathan Zhang
Learn about Jonathan Zhang, an intern with the Odyssey Project. Odyssey provides low-income adults in East Central Illinois access to free credit-bearing humanities courses, taught by instructors at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Third Cohort of Interseminars Graduate Fellows Announced
The final Interseminars cohort includes graduate students from the College of Fine and Applied Arts and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
HWW to HRI: Community-Based Research Practice
It's “more than metaphor”: building ethical community-based experiences in the humanities.
Odyssey Spring Application Open
Apply by January 4 to participate in the Odyssey Project for spring semester 2024.
Third Interseminars Project and Faculty Conveners Announced
The third Mellon-funded Interseminars Initiative project and three faculty conveners are announced.
Interseminars Group Releases Book
The inaugural Interseminars cohort released a book,“Imagining Otherwise,” showcasing their collective insights, research, and creative works-in-progress.
Humanities in Action Scholars Matched with Community Partners
Humanities in Action scholars have been matched with community partners for the fall 2023 semester to address a vital area of need in the Champaign-Urbana community.
Burton Selected for Public Voices Fellowship
Dr. Antoinette Burton is among 20 faculty members selected to the 2023–24 University of Illinois System Public Voices Fellowship cohort.
Humanities in Action Scholars 2023–24
Meet the 2023–2024 Humanities in Action scholars, with students from the colleges of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Applied Health Sciences, and Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.
Teaching Assistant Spotlight: Leslie Reyes
Meet Leslie Reyes (Class of 2024), a teaching assistant with the Humanities Research Lab History 312, “Immigrant America.”
Intern Spotlight: Giovanna Gutierrez
Meet HRI communications and outreach intern Giovanna Gutierrez, a sophomore majoring in English.
Intern Spotlight: Tavion Brooks
Meet the David F. Prindable intern Tavion Brooks, a senior majoring in History and Creative Writing.
Intern Spotlight: James Perkovich
We recently spoke with James Perkovich (History major, Class of 2025), who is the Humanities Gateway Intern in Public Media and Civic Engagement for 2022-2023.
Teaching Assistant Spotlight: Flor Quiroz
What is it like to be a TA with the Humanities Research Lab? We recently sat down with Flor Quiroz, a teaching assistant with the Humanities Research Laboratory to learn more about her experience.
Students Put Humanities in Action, Build Lasting Connections
Read about the valuable partnerships and lasting connections that were forged in the first cohort of HIA scholars.
2023–24 HRI Fellows Announced
HRI's 2023–24 Campus Fellows and Mellon Pre-Doctoral Fellow in Public Humanities represent a range of disciplines and interests from the Colleges of Education, Fine and Applied Arts, and Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Faculty Feature: Professor Jenny Davis
Professor Jenny L. Davis talks with HRI about her latest book, the poetry collection Trickster Academy, her early love of language, and how creative work fits in with her wide-ranging interdisciplinary academic endeavors.
Second Cohort of Interseminars Graduate Fellows Announced
The fellows hail from a range of disciplines and home colleges, including Fine and Applied Arts, Liberal Arts and Sciences, Applied Health Sciences, and Social Work.
Odyssey Mural Project
Odyssey Project students collaborated with Chicago artist Rafael Blanco to create an interior mural in Levis Faculty Center. The result? A powerful piece of public art and an experience cultivating creativity, joy, and community.
Second Interseminars Project and Faculty Conveners Announced
The second Mellon Interseminars Project, titled “Improvise and Intervene,” will launch in fall 2023.
Class-Community Partnership Explores Roots of Community Violence
The humanities research lab course HIST 386 cultivated collaborations that led to a student-created website exploring the rise of gun violence in Champaign-Urbana.
Intern Spotlight: Sarah Boghossian
Meet HRI's communications and outreach intern Sarah Boghossian, a junior majoring in English.
Intern Spotlight: Elena Vara
Learn about David F. Prindable intern Elena Vara, a junior majoring in Global Studies and Spanish.
Intern Spotlight: Tom Ballard
Meet HRI-Mellon Legal Humanities intern Tom Ballard, a senior who graduated in May with degrees in economics and political science.
Intern Spotlight: Alex Wellman
Learn about Legal Humanities intern Alex Wellman, who graduated in May 2022 with an Economics and Political Science degree.
Intern Spotlight: Julia Rzasinska
Learn about Julia Rzasinska, an intern with the Odyssey Project. Odyssey provides low-income adults in East Central Illinois access to free credit-bearing humanities courses, taught by instructors at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Intern Spotlight: Amy Plickebaum
We recently spoke with Amy Plickebaum (French major), the Humanities Gateway Intern in Public Media and Civic Engagement for 2021-2022.
Intern Spotlight: Alice Lee
We recently spoke with Legal Humanities intern Alice Lee, a senior majoring in Political Science and Psychology. The HRI-Mellon Legal Humanities Research Group is a multi-generational team of faculty, post-doctoral and graduate students, and undergraduate interns, all exploring research at the intersection of humanities and the law.
Interseminars Graduate Fellows Announced
Congratulations to the first cohort of Interseminars graduate fellows: nine students from a range of disciplines and home colleges, including Education, Fine and Applied Arts, and Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Humanities Without Walls Announces Grand Research Challenge Awardees
The Humanities Without Walls Consortium (HWW) has announced five new projects funded by the third Grand Research Challenge. Each of the five interdisciplinary research teams will receive an award of $150,000 over a two-year period, provided by a Mellon grant.
Festival of Writers to Feature Leading Literary Voices November 12–13, 2021
A Festival of Writers—featuring the award-winning Roxane Gay, Jericho Brown and Tracy K. Smith—will be presented at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts on Friday, November 12 and Saturday, November 13, 2021. The culmination of the Year of Creative Writers series, this festival spotlights some of the nation’s leading creative writers and authors.
5 Questions with Judith Pintar
Judith Pintar explains how the undergraduate minor in Game Studies Design stemmed from an HRI research cluster "Playful by Design." "I feel quite grateful for the blessing that HRI gave us to go forth, see what the interest was and make something that lasts."
Inaugural Interseminars Project
HRI's first Mellon Interseminars Project is announced. The new initiative supports interdisciplinary research and graduate education innovation in the arts and humanities.
The Power of "Why": Inaugural Humanities Research Lab
We put five questions to Professor Jane Desmond, who is teaching the inaugural Humanities Research Lab course ANTH 126. She talks about the course, the complexity of human-animal relationships, and the power of humanities research to contribute solutions to build healthier, more resilient communities.
Changing Course: Creative Adaptation Brings History 202 to Expanded Audiences
How do you remake a traditional in-person semester-long course into a fully online, asynchronous 8-week class? Professor Bob Morrissey (History) did just that, with the help of recent graduate Sarah Gediman, environmental humanities colleagues, and support through Mellon funding.
Get to Know: Augustus Wood, Podcast Host
We put five questions to the host of HRI's forthcoming podcast "Off the Shelf." Get to know Augustus Wood, his research and interests, and what he hopes listeners gain by tuning in to the podcast.
Year-End Greetings from HRI
We invite you to view a recap of some of HRI's 2020 highlights. With deep gratitude, we thank each and every one of you for your commitment to amplifying the humanities.
Environmental Humanities Group Launches New Publications
The first cohort of the Mellon Environmental Humanities Research Group launched the Flatland website to showcase their collaborations, while the undergraduate interns creatively pivoted from a canceled symposium to a published book.
Odyssey Alumni Reflect on Program's Impact
According to a recent survey, 80 percent of Odyssey graduates have enrolled in additional college courses. Two recent Odyssey alumni shared with us the impact of the program and their continuing education experiences.
HRI Fellow David Wright Published in The New Yorker
English Professor David Wright, who was an HRI faculty fellow in 2017–18, recently published a new story in The New Yorker that saw its first external audience in the HRI Fellows Seminar.