Features
Humanities in Action Scholars 2023–24
We CU and the Humanities Research Institute (HRI) are proud to announce the 2023–2024 Humanities in Action scholars. The new cohort is composed of five students from the colleges of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Applied Health Sciences, and Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, who will begin the program in fall 2023.
Teaching Assistant Spotlight: Leslie Reyes
What is it like to be a TA with the Humanities Research Lab? We recently sat down with Leslie Reyes, a teaching assistant with the Humanities Research Laboratory to learn more about her experience. Leslie is a junior (Class of 2024) at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, where she is majoring in History and minoring in Secondary Education.
Intern Spotlight: Giovanna Gutierrez
We recently spoke with HRI communications and outreach intern Giovanna Gutierrez, a sophomore majoring in English. HRI's internship program is an opportunity for undergraduate students in the humanities to assist with communications strategies and undergraduate engagement.
Intern Spotlight: Tavion Brooks
We recently spoke with David F. Prindable intern Tavion Brooks, a senior majoring in History and Creative Writing. The David F. Prindable internship program is an opportunity for undergraduate students in the humanities to assist HRI with its communications strategy and undergraduate engagement.
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—an internship offered by HRI in partnership with Illinois Public Media.
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
The first cohort of Humanities in Action scholars completed their placements in the fall. Read about the valuable partnerships and lasting connections that were forged in the process.
2023–24 HRI Fellows Announced
The Humanities Research Institute is excited to announce the 2023–24 Campus Fellows and Mellon Pre-Doctoral Fellow in Public Humanities. These fellows 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
HRI has announced the second cohort of Interseminars graduate fellows: nine students from a range of disciplines and home colleges, including Fine and Applied Arts, Liberal Arts and Sciences, Applied Health Sciences, and Social Work. The students will join three faculty conveners in the project titled “Improvise and Intervene.”
Odyssey Mural Project
Over the course of three days, 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 has been selected. Titled “Improvise and Intervene,” the project brings together three faculty conveners and invites applications from graduate students to work together in developing innovative approaches to interdisciplinary and collaborative research design.
Class-Community Partnership Explores Roots of Community Violence
Taught by Dr. Tariq Khan (History) in spring 2022, the humanities research lab course HIST 386 cultivated collaborations between students and the community that led to a student-created website exploring the rise of gun violence in Champaign-Urbana.
Intern Spotlight: Sarah Boghossian
We recently spoke with HRI's communications and outreach intern Sarah Boghossian, a junior majoring in English. HRI's internship program is an opportunity for undergraduate students in the humanities to assist HRI with its communications strategy and undergraduate engagement.
Intern Spotlight: Elena Vara
We recently spoke with David F. Prindable intern Elena Vara, a junior majoring in Global Studies and Spanish. The David F. Prindable internship program is an opportunity for undergraduate students in the humanities to assist HRI with its communications strategy and undergraduate engagement.
Intern Spotlight: Tom Ballard
We recently spoke with HRI-Mellon Legal Humanities intern Tom Ballard, a senior who graduated in May with degrees in economics and political science. 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.
Intern Spotlight: Alex Wellman
We recently spoke with Legal Humanities intern Alex Wellman, who graduated in May 2022 with an Economics and Political Science degree. 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.
Intern Spotlight: Julia Rzasinska
We recently spoke with 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. We have a team of staff, volunteers, and interns, like Julia, who help support the program.
Intern Spotlight: Amy Plickebaum
We recently spoke with Amy Plickebaum (French major), who is the Humanities Gateway Intern in Public Media and Civic Engagement for 2021-2022—an internship offered by HRI in partnership with Illinois Public Media.
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, which provides grants for teams pursuing research with a commitment to methodologies of reciprocity and redistribution. Each of the five interdisciplinary research teams will receive an award of $150,000 over a two-year period, provided by a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
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.