From the Director’s Desk

The Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere looks back on yet another dynamic and productive year despite the ongoing challenges of the pandemic. The humanities center engaged audiences in multiple formats, from webinars to in-person events outdoors.

Fellowship Spotlight

The Rothman and Tedder Doctoral Fellowships provide funding for doctoral students to conduct research for their dissertation. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, doctoral students made significant progress on critical topics. We spotlight two international students whose work illuminate food and religion in India.

Speaker Series: Transforming Institutions

During the academic year 2021-22, the Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere continued its multi-year series entitled “Rethinking the Public Sphere,” turning its attention to the ways in which the humanities approach institutions at the intersections of law and urban planning.

Conversations in the Neighborhood: Talk About Music

In the second series of Conversations in the Neighborhood, music was chosen as an entry point to the humanities, offering an effective medium to address complex themes, including identity, migration, and culture.

Programs in Public Humanities Grants

The Center for Humanities and the Public Sphere’s Public Humanities Grants continue to demonstrate how humanities can collaborate with communities.

Humanities Advocacy Day

Every year, the National Humanities Alliance (NHA) organizes a nationwide coalition that advocates for federal funding of the humanities, known as Humanities Advocacy Day.

Humanities Engagement Scholars

In the fall of 2021, undergraduate students in the Humanities Engagement Scholars (HES) program shared their desire for support when applying for internships, jobs, and scholarships in order to be prepared for work outside of academia.

Humanities Writing Retreat

In the week after the spring semester 2022 ended and before Summer A began, 33 faculty members, staff, and doctoral students from the University of Florida gathered for a productive week of writing at the beautiful Austin Cary Forest Campus northeast of Gainesville.

Publication Subventions

The Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere continued to support humanities book publications with its publication subvention. In collaboration with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the College of the Arts, seven publication subventions were awarded during the 2021-22 academic year.

Library Enhancement Grant Program in the Humanities

During the 2021-22 academic year, the Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere continued its Library Enhancement Grant Program in the Humanities with the acquisition for three specific areas following competitive applications.

Under Review: Rethinking Humanities Graduate Education

Support for Speaker Series and Workshops in the Humanities

The Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere continued its grant support for Speaker Series and Workshops in the Humanities throughout the 2021-22 academic year. Despite the pandemic and subsequent postponements of events, UF faculty, graduate students, and staff successfully organized several energizing scholarly exchanges.

On the Horizon

In 2022-23, the Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere will continue and conclude its multi-year series “Rethinking the Public Sphere,” with its fourth and final installation presenting on Public Humanities.

Thank You for Supporting Our Work

The Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere thanks its friends for their generous gifts that support our work on a daily basis.