Message from the director
Hello everyone,
On behalf of the Humanities Center, I would like to welcome everyone back to campus! The start of the new academic year always holds the exciting promise of new faces and new ventures, and this year will be especially momentous for the Humanities Center. Not only will we celebrate our thirtieth anniversary, but we have also revised our core fellowship programming and developed new ways to keep in touch.
As you may have already seen, the Center has created a monthly newsletter (Humanities @ Wayne) to announce its events. If you would like us to include your event in a future newsletter, please email us at humanitiescenter@wayne.edu. All submitted events should also appear on the university’s events calendar.
Speaking of events, I would like to highlight our first event for this academic year: our open house on Friday, 9/8 from 1 to 3 PM, in 2226 FAB. Drop in to catch up with old friends and meet new colleagues! Light refreshments will be served. The staff and I hope to see many of you there. I have also attached a copy of this semester’s Brown Bag schedule, for those who like to plan ahead.
On a related note, I’m also pleased to announce that the Center has developed a streamlined process for requesting co-sponsorship of events. Please visit our website for more information.
Finally, I would like to share an overview of our deadlines and programs for the entire academic year. While the Center continues to support the core programs that are so essential to humanities scholarship on campus, your feedback last year suggested that it was time to adjust these programs. Consequently, the Advisory Board has approved changes intended to foster scholarly community and to strengthen the impact of our funding:
- Marilyn Williamson Fellowship, 2024-2025: The Center will award one fellowship to a tenured faculty member in the humanities, as defined by the NEH. This residential program provides two to four course releases, an office, and research funds. Deadline: October 6, 2023.
- Humanities Center Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship, Winter and Spring/Summer 2024: In collaboration with the Graduate School, the Center will award a stipend of $15,000 and an office to a doctoral candidate in the humanities or related disciplines who is in the final stages of writing their dissertation. Please note: Recipients will hold this residential fellowship between January 2024 and August 2024. Deadline: October 6, 2023.
- Faculty Fellowships, 2024-2025: The Center will award four fellowships to full-time faculty in the humanities, arts, and related disciplines. This residential program provides two course releases (one per semester) and an office. Deadline: November 3, 2023.
- Books in Dialogue, 2024: This program celebrates groups of related publications in traditional humanities disciplines and humanities-adjacent fields. All faculty and academic staff who published books in 2022 or 2023 are welcome to participate. Deadline: December 8, 2023.
- Summer Faculty Fellowship, 2024: The Center will award three fellowships to full-time faculty in the humanities, arts, and related disciplines. This program provides awards of $5,000 for summer salary and/or research expenses. Deadline: January 26, 2024.
- Summer Graduate Fellowship, 2024: The Center will award two fellowships to graduate students in terminal-degree programs within the humanities, arts, and related disciplines. This program provides awards of $1,000 for research expenses. Deadline: February 16.
- Humanities Center Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship, 2024-2025: In collaboration with the Graduate School, the Center will award a stipend of $15,000, tuition remission, and an office to a doctoral candidate in the humanities or related disciplines who is in the final stages of writing their dissertation. Please note: Unlike in previous years, recipients will hold this residential fellowship during the academic year, between August 2024 and April 2025. Deadline: March 1, 2024.
- Brown Bag Colloquium Series: This program provides faculty, staff, and advanced graduate students with opportunities to share works-in-progress. Deadline: May 17, 2024.
- Summer Writing Accountability Groups: This program provides logistical support and refreshments for small groups of faculty and advanced graduate students working on summer research projects. Deadline: May 3, 2024.
- Working Groups: The Center will make two awards to groups of faculty members and staff in the humanities, arts, and related disciplines who intend to pursue a collaborative project that will result in a tangible outcome. Each group will receive $2,000. Deadline: June 7, 2024.
- Graduate Travel Funding: This program supports graduate students in the humanities and the arts who present their work at national conferences and exhibitions. This year’s funding will be allocated as follows:
- Fall 2023 (deadline: September 22, 2023): Two awards of $500 each
- Winter 2024 (deadline: December 1, 2023): Three awards of $500 each
- Spring/Summer 2024 (deadline: April 5, 2024): One award of $500
I look forward to writing again soon with more news, including an announcement about our upcoming anniversary celebration. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to contact me about the Center or its programming, especially if you have possible topics for our Humanities Coffee Hour Series. In closing, I hope that everyone’s semester has gotten off to an excellent start, and I look forward to seeing many of you at our open house on Friday, September 8th!
Best,
Director, Humanities Center