Humanities Institute

Message from the Director

What is the future of the humanities in the age of algorithms, content, and artificial intelligence? What is the value and relevance of the humanities in our modern economy and mass society?

These are not idle questions considering that the humanities have been for centuries at the heart of Ignatian pedagogy. Fairfield University’s vision of cura personalis is thus fundamentally grounded in the liberal arts. To this end, the Humanities Institute fosters and funds innovative scholarly research, teaching, and programming in the humanities. We are committed to the exploration of all facets of the human experience: to our histories, stories, ideas, faiths, and the manifold ways we have expressed ourselves artistically over the millennia and across the globe. We believe that the study of the humanities equips us with the critical skills and conceptual vocabularies necessary to critique systems of power, to develop visions of social and environmental justice, and to thrive in the modern economy. We view an education in the humanities as a means of empowering individuals and fostering the good life. Likewise, research in the humanities is essential to vibrant, free, just, and sustainable societies.

In pursuit of our mission to support faculty research and student learning in the humanities, the Humanities Institutes offers grants for research, scholarly and artistic collaboration, and campus programming. The Humanities Institute Seminar provides a unique space for a select group of faculty and undergraduate students to meet monthly to discuss ongoing faculty research and for student fellows to engage in year-long research projects under the mentorship of faculty fellows. We are also especially proud of our undergraduate humanities research journal Apollon, which, under the dynamic leadership of faculty and student editors, publishes work by young scholars from around the world.

In pursuit of our goal to develop Fairfield University as a hub of research and teaching in the humanities, the Humanities Institute is committed to supporting the various initiatives of Fairfield University faculty as both researchers and pedagogues. If you have a vision, if you want to do or create something, we are here to support you in bringing that vision to reality. We can support you in many modest ways, but we also invite your big ideas and ambitious initiatives.

I am grateful to the previous directors of the Humanities Institute, Dr. Nels Pearson and Dr. Ronald Davidson, for their vision, dedication, and for their belief in the future of the humanities. I am also grateful for the work and wisdom of the Associate Directors, Dr. Jennifer Adair, Dr. Ryan Drake, and Dr. Sara Diaz. And, as always, I thank Julie Garbarino for keeping the ship afloat and making things happen.

Dr. Sunil Purushotham
Associate Professor, History
Director, The Humanities Institute in the College of Arts & Sciences
Fairfield University

Program Grants

HI Program Grants are for projects that enhance the educational experience of students and/or faculty development through programs or research in the humanities (history, philosophy, religion, language, linguistics, literature, archaeology, jurisprudence, and ethics, as well as the history, theory and criticism of the arts). Proposals in the social sciences, mathematics, and the natural sciences that intersect substantively with humanities methodologies and disciplines will also be considered. All applications will be evaluated based on their potential contribution to teaching and research in the Humanities. Applications may be submitted by any CAS faculty member.  (Further guidelines available on the downloadable Call for Proposals).

*NEW! There are now two different applications available: one for grants involving faculty development or research; one for grants involving events, lectures and other campus and community programming. Both applications are available to download at the links below. Before applying, please review the updated Call and Guidelines for Proposals, (available below).

• • Program Grant Application (for programming, events, initiatives) (PDF)
  • Program Grant Application (for individual faculty development or research) (PDF)
  • Call and Guidelines for Proposal (PDF)
  • Budget Planning (DOC)

Application Deadlines are typically August 1, October 15, and February 10.

Quick Grants

The Humanities Institute is accepting abbreviated applications for its new Quick Grants program. Grants will be reviewed on September 1, November 1, December 1, January 1, March 1, April 1 and May 1.

Mid-Career Research Grants for Humanities Faculty

In order to expand and diversify the Humanities Institute’s support of the scholarship and/or creative projects of humanities faculty, we now offer a competitive grant for one course-release for an associate professor in the humanities. The intent of this grant is to provide support for associate professors working toward promotion. One grant per academic year will be awarded.

Eligibility: Rank of associate professor at the time of application. While priority will be given to humanities faculty and projects, all faculty with a research project in a humanities area are encouraged to apply for the course-release grant, including those whose project has a substantive humanities component but who do not teach in a humanities department. Projects with an evident path to completion are most competitive, but they may currently be at any stage of the process. Preference is given to faculty not participating in the Humanities Institute Seminar during the same award year as this Mid-Career Research Grant.

Application Deadline: February 10, 2022, to be awarded for the 2022-23 academic year.

Summer, Fall, and Spring Grant Recipients

Summer, Fall, and Spring Grant Recipients AY 22-23

Humanities Institute Program Grant Award Winners

Summer 2022 Grant Awardees:

• Kim Gunter, “Factory Floors, Church Pews, and Kitchen Sinks: Counter-Literacies of the South’s Women Apparel Workers, 1964-1984”
• Michelle DiMarzo, “Cuban Poet Maya Islas: Campus Visit and Public Reading”
• Michelle Farrell, “Soft Power or a Space for Resistance: The Havana Film Festival NYC”

Fall 2022 Grant Awardees:

• Sara Diáz, “2023 DMLL Alumni Career Panel”
• Michelle DiMarzo, “Student-Curated FUAM Exhibition- Transmutations: In their Element(s): Women Artists Across Media - by Phoebe Charpentier”
• Karen Langton, “Women's Work: Seeing the Bible”
• Brian Torff, “Researching Southern Music and Race Issues”

Spring 2023 Grant Awardees:

• Sara Brill, “Birth: Power, Politics, and Reproductive Life in Ancient Greek Literature”
• Kristin Culbertson, Jason Smith, Kris Sealey, “Philosophy and Current Events: Hope in the Face of Climate Change”
• Ryan Drake, “Ruling Orders: Teaching Plato on the Arrangement of Cosmos, City, and Soul”
• Sonya Huber, “More than a Land Acknowledgment: Engaging with Indigenous Nations in Fairfield County and Beyond”
• Laura Gasca Jiménez, “Student Workshop and Research Talk on Translation and Interpreting Studies with Dr. Christopher Mellinger”
• Rachel Robinson-Zetzer, Karen Langton, “The Social Justice in the Humanities Colloquium at Fairfield University”
• Peter Van Heerden, “Senior Fellowship in the Arts and Humanities for Michael Keegan-Dolan”
• Jiwei Xiao, “Archival Research and Interviews on Global Asian Art Cinema”
• Jo Yarrington, “Interrupted Transmission: Cyanotype Interactive Book and Print Series Using Pigment Suspension Process”
• Zhu Zhang - “Winning Over the Capitalists: The Rivalry Between the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese Nationalist Party in the Early 20th Century”

Mid-Career Research Grant

• Alfred Babo, Associate Professor of Sociology & Anthropology, for research project “Negotiating Cultural Identity Transformation: A Look at Three Young Refugees' Experiences of Adjustment to Living in the United States”

Humanities Institute Quick Grant Award Winners

• Silvia Marsans-Sakly, “Guest speaker Jeff Halper, Israeli anthropologist addresses the Israel-Palestine conflict with HI 3371, The Arab-Israeli Conflict and the Question of Palestine”
• Jeffrey Schwartz, “Poet, Erika Meitner from the University of Wisconsin speaks to class, Jewish Identity in Literature.”
• Aaron Weinstein, “ Nicholas Buccola speaking on Constitution Day, Sept 15^th, gives public lecture “To Secure the Blessings of Liberty: Frederick Douglass’s Aspirational Constitution”
• Tommy Xie, “Data journalist, Zack Newman, back to Fairfield to visit with Big Data Storytelling course”
• Sergio Adrada Rafael, “Filmmaker Carmen Vidal Balanzat, presents her award-winning documentary: Exiles (Exilios in Spanish)”
• Sergio Adrada Rafael, “Spanish journalist and reporter for the news channel NY1, Juan Manuel Benítez, gives public lecture at the Kelly Center”
• Betsy Bowen, “Library of Congress visit continuing work with “Ex-Slave Project” interviews”
• Jo Yarrington, “Christopher Kaczmarek, conducting a workshop for Studio Art students, in coordination with his exhibition Solar Symphony: a Solo exhibition at Loyola Hall Studio Art galleries, September 17 – November 4”
• Covadonga Arango-Martin, “SPAN 3245 class visit to see the Spanish play, La casa de Bernarda Alba, in NYC”
• Carolina Añón Suárez, “Dr. María Guadalupe Arenillas presents to SPAN 4360-Dictatorships and Revolutionary Movements in Contemporary Latin America class”
• Zhu Zhang, “Visits to Columbia and Yale libraries’ Asian Studies collections - curating a comprehensive reading list for a new course on Chinese Politics in Fall 2023”
• Laura Gasca Jiménez, “Sponsor Spanish major, Melody Olivan Sanchez, to attend the Symposium on Spanish as a Heritage Language at the Cervantes Institute in NYC”
• Carolina Añón Suárez, “Illustration of cover image by illustrator, Valentina Toro, for volume: “Generación Hijes: memoria, posdictadura y posconflicto en América Latina” [Hijes Generation: Memory, Post-dictatorship, and Post-conflict in Latin America]”
• Michelle Farrell, “Trip to Symposium on Spanish as a Heritage Language at the Cervantes Institute in NYC”
• Viviana Rigo de Alonso, “Trip to Symposium on Spanish as a Heritage Language at the Cervantes Institute in NYC”
• Covadonga Arango Martin, “Trip to Symposium on Spanish as a Heritage Language at the Cervantes Institute in NYC”
• Covadonga Arango Martin, “Trip to NYC to see Spanish play La dama boba with students in SPAN 4311 class”
• Shannon Kelley, “Guest lecture by author Ioanna Opidee visiting WGSS 4999 to discuss her novel Waking Slow (2018) and WGSS issues”
• Shannon Kelley, “Guest lecture by Janet Ortiz, Urban Impact's Program Director, visiting HONR 1101 (co-taught by Bill Abbott)”
• Carolina Añón Suárez, “Cover professional external copy editors for forthcoming volume: Generación Hijes: memoria, posdictadura y posconflicto en América Latina [Hijes Generation: Memory, Post-dictatorship, and Post-conflict in Latin America]“
• Chia-Hua Lin, “Guest speaker, Justin Price, presents lecture to PHIL 2217 on applying logic to his work in the tech industry based in the UK”
• Jo Yarrington, “Public lecture by artist Patricia Miranda on her works with donated, repurposed, lace and linens in site-responsive sculptures and installations, on March 22 in Loyola Hall”
• Betsy Bowen, “Provide knitting needles and yarn to students to reduce anxiety and dependence on digital devices, supporting student learning, engagement and outcomes”
• Karen Langton, “Bellarmine art installation of artist Arthur Szck, student art and writing competition”
• Zhu Zhang, “Chinese and Indian Diaspora in NYC Commodity Sale Business”

Student Fellows Announcement - 2023

The Humanities Institute in the College of Arts and Sciences is pleased to invite students to apply to become a Student Fellow in the Humanities Institute Seminar for the 2023-2024 academic year.

Student Fellows are each mentored by a Faculty Fellow, under whose mentorship the student completes an independent, advanced research project in one of the Humanities disciplines (English, History, Modern Languages and Literatures, Philosophy, Religious Studies, or Visual and Performing Arts) for course credit. Positions are recommended for Humanities majors and minors, but are open to all exceptional students interested in learning more about research in the Humanities.

In both fall and spring, Student Fellows join Faculty Fellows in Seminar meetings to discuss research ideas and work in progress. These meetings take place 4 times per semester on weekday afternoons, usually on Tuesdays 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., so applicants should keep this time slot open when registering for classes. Because all fellows are expected to engage in these seminar meetings, the seminar is generally not recommended for students who will be studying abroad for all or part of the academic year.

Current Faculty Fellows (2021-2023)

• Claudia Calhoun, Assistant Professor of Visual and Performing Arts
• Annemarie Iddins, Assistant Professor of Communication
• Jerelyn Johnson, Associate Professor of Modern Languages
• Silvia Marsans-Sakly, Associate Professor of the Practice of History
• Elizabeth Petrino, Professor of English
• Lydia Willsky-Ciollo, Associate Professor of Religious Studies

A full description of the program, along with application materials, are attached to the same email as this announcement and are also available on the Humanities Institute webpage.

Any questions about the Seminar and/or application process should be directed to the Seminar Chair, Dr. Sunil Purushotham at spurushotham@fairfield.edu. Applications are due by Monday, April 3, 2023 to Julie Garbarino at jgarbarino@fairfield.edu. See submission guidelines on application form.

We very much look forward to receiving applications.

Nels Pearson, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair of English
Director, the Humanities Institute in the College of Arts and Sciences

Student Fellows

The Humanities Seminar is a one-year commitment for Student Fellows. Student Fellows receive three credits and individual mentoring by a Faculty Fellow while completing an advanced research project in English, history, modern languages and literatures, philosophy, religious studies, visual and performing arts, or an interdisciplinary field with a substantive humanities component.

Student Fellowships are recommended for Humanities majors and minors, but are open to all exceptional students proposing advanced humanities research.

Congratulations to our successful 2022-2023 Student Fellows for their investiture in their one-year seminar membership:

• Peter Baron, 2023
• Phoebe Charpentier, 2023
• Shannon Di Iorio, 2023
• Madeline Hossler, 2023
• Thomas Lane, 2024
• Francis Eddie Nicholas, 2023

Faculty Fellows

The Humanities Seminar is a two-year commitment for Faculty Fellows. For each of the two academic years that they participate, Faculty Fellows receive a one-course reduction.

Congratulations to our successful 2021-2023 Faculty Fellows for their investiture in their two-year seminar membership: