‘Transformative’ gift will allow Miami University’s Altman Institute for the Humanities to expand its reach
Funding for the former Humanities Center announced during annual State of the University address
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Published
Gaile Pohlhaus, associate dean of the College of Arts and Science; Timothy Melley, director of the Humanities Center; and Renée Baernstein, dean of the College of Arts and Science at Bachelor Hall as it undergoes renovations. Bachelor Hall will be home to the Altman Institute for the Humanities.
‘Transformative’ gift will allow Miami University’s Altman Institute for the Humanities to expand its reach
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Published
Miami University’s Humanities Center will be renamed the Altman Institute for the Humanities, President Gregory Crawford announced on Oct. 15 during the annual State of the University address at Hall Auditorium.
The new name is in recognition of Class of 1960 alumnus John W. Altman`s longtime support of the humanities at Miami and includes a new $1.5 million matching gift, which has the potential to raise a total of $3 million for the Altman Institute and a new Curriculum Fund. This new funding will expand programming to equip students with crucial skills for the technological age through research apprenticeships, applied-learning labs, and student-driven projects.
The institute will be housed in Bachelor Hall, currently undergoing a two-year renovation process that will consolidate space, modernize classrooms, and create an environment for scholarly work and interdepartmental collaboration.
“We are deeply grateful to the Altman family for their ongoing support of Miami University and its mission,” President Crawford said. “Their generosity is helping move Miami forward and will benefit generations of Miamians for years to come.”
Altman’s gift establishes the Curriculum Fund, which will be overseen by the institute. The Curriculum Fund will ensure students across Miami have access to discussion-driven courses focused on classic questions and transformative texts. In these seminars, students debate timeless controversies as they learn to read and analyze deeply, think rigorously, and disagree respectfully.
Renée Baernstein, dean of the College of Arts and Science, said the renaming of the institute, along with the extensive renovation of Bachelor Hall, represents an extraordinary commitment to the future of the humanities at Miami.
“Bachelor Hall’s renovation will unite four formerly-scattered humanities departments, together with the institute, and endow them with vibrant spaces for collaboration and interaction and up-to-date teaching technology for the digital and visual age,” Baernstein said. “The humanities are essential to AI-proofing graduates for a fast-moving technological world, preparing graduates who are not only technically proficient but also broadly educated, ethically grounded, and intellectually resilient.”
Currently, the Humanities Center is home to the John W. Altman Program in the Humanities, which helps foster collaboration, pedagogical innovation, and new research across the humanities and beyond.
“John’s funding has made the Humanities Center a reality from the beginning. Seeing the Altman name on the new Humanities Institute in Bachelor Hall will be a dream come true for me,” said Timothy Melley, director of the institute. “It not only recognizes John’s extraordinary support for the liberal arts over the past 30 years, but it is a reminder of his own transformative student experience. Ultimately, working with curious, committed students is why we are in this business.”
Melley noted the growth of the Humanities Center over the 15 years since its founding, with 15 programs offered for public engagement, research, and intellectual collaboration.
“Becoming an Institute will allow us to expand our reach and take on new responsibilities, including curriculum,” Melley said. “This is a transformative gift that reflects John’s lifelong commitment to the humanities as the basis of a successful career and a good life.”
The new name is in recognition of Class of 1960 alumnus John W. Altman`s longtime support of the humanities at Miami and includes a new $1.5 million matching gift, which has the potential to raise a total of $3 million for the Altman Institute and a new Curriculum Fund. This new funding will expand programming to equip students with crucial skills for the technological age through research apprenticeships, applied-learning labs, and student-driven projects.
The institute will be housed in Bachelor Hall, currently undergoing a two-year renovation process that will consolidate space, modernize classrooms, and create an environment for scholarly work and interdepartmental collaboration.
“We are deeply grateful to the Altman family for their ongoing support of Miami University and its mission,” President Crawford said. “Their generosity is helping move Miami forward and will benefit generations of Miamians for years to come.”
Altman’s gift establishes the Curriculum Fund, which will be overseen by the institute. The Curriculum Fund will ensure students across Miami have access to discussion-driven courses focused on classic questions and transformative texts. In these seminars, students debate timeless controversies as they learn to read and analyze deeply, think rigorously, and disagree respectfully.
Renée Baernstein, dean of the College of Arts and Science, said the renaming of the institute, along with the extensive renovation of Bachelor Hall, represents an extraordinary commitment to the future of the humanities at Miami.
“Bachelor Hall’s renovation will unite four formerly-scattered humanities departments, together with the institute, and endow them with vibrant spaces for collaboration and interaction and up-to-date teaching technology for the digital and visual age,” Baernstein said. “The humanities are essential to AI-proofing graduates for a fast-moving technological world, preparing graduates who are not only technically proficient but also broadly educated, ethically grounded, and intellectually resilient.”
Currently, the Humanities Center is home to the John W. Altman Program in the Humanities, which helps foster collaboration, pedagogical innovation, and new research across the humanities and beyond.
“John’s funding has made the Humanities Center a reality from the beginning. Seeing the Altman name on the new Humanities Institute in Bachelor Hall will be a dream come true for me,” said Timothy Melley, director of the institute. “It not only recognizes John’s extraordinary support for the liberal arts over the past 30 years, but it is a reminder of his own transformative student experience. Ultimately, working with curious, committed students is why we are in this business.”
Melley noted the growth of the Humanities Center over the 15 years since its founding, with 15 programs offered for public engagement, research, and intellectual collaboration.
“Becoming an Institute will allow us to expand our reach and take on new responsibilities, including curriculum,” Melley said. “This is a transformative gift that reflects John’s lifelong commitment to the humanities as the basis of a successful career and a good life.”
Established in 1809, Miami University is located in Oxford, Ohio, with regional campuses in Hamilton and Middletown, a learning center in West Chester, and a European study center in Luxembourg. Interested in learning more about the College of Arts and Science? Visit the website for more information.
