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A newly funded proposal will create a humanities center this fall at Miami University thanks to a $250,000 President's Academic Enrichment Award.
Each year, the (Miami) President's Academic Enrichment Award (PAEA), made possible in 1998 through a $6.5 million gift from the late Arretha Sheriff, selects outstanding proposals that include goals for enhancing the academic environment of the university.
"Because Miami is well-known for its liberal arts education, it makes sense that this is the place in the world that should have a humanities center," said Laura Mandell, associate professor of English and one of the proposal authors. "Not many understand humanities and what we do. This center will be the locus for discussion of world debate - such as religious and cultural conflicts, the impact of technology on the world, and the impact of environmental changes on humanity."
The proposed Miami University Humanities Center, location yet to be announced, would serve as a high-profile forum for scholarship, pedagogy and debate for students, faculty, staff and the community. It would draw upon existing interdisciplinary collaborations and research clusters to establish a foundation for further engagement. The center would provide scholars with the resources for innovation in both research and pedagogy.
Mandell, along with co-writers Kerry Powell, professor of English; Charles Ganelin, chair and professor of Spanish and Portuguese; and Wietse de Boer, associate professor of history, were inspired to initiate the proposal by the current research cluster, Early Modern Studies Collective, and the encouragement of Karen Schilling, dean of the College of Arts and Science. The group consists of English, foreign language and history professors, as well as students who meet regularly to share their work and host discussions. The PAEA provides the start-up money to encourage other such clusters and nurture signature projects that promote the humanities.
In addition, Mandell said the center plans to host a humanities conference during 2009, offer seminars on cutting-edge research in the humanities, and work to provide undergraduate and graduate students with more interdisciplinary study options and majors.
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