Author: Carrero, Yesenia

Director of the Humanities Institute Michael Lynch, explores the dangerous insecurity of American Exceptionalism.

The Danger of ‘American Exceptionalism’

The siren call of American exceptionalism ends up encouraging only demagoguery.

By Michael P. Lynch | Contributor

Aug. 14, 2016, at 7:00 a.m.

Over the last month, there has been a steady drumbeat of talk about America’s “greatness” – whether it was making it great again (Donald Trump) or already being the greatest country on Earth (the Obamas and Hillary Clinton). Yet what does it really mean to say America is “great” – now or in the future? Not surprisingly, it depends whom you ask: their politics, their views on the health of the economy and so on. But differences on the meaning of “greatness” go deeper as well and often concern a single idea that is of increasing national importance: American Exceptionalism. read more

Moving the Conversation Forward (Workshop on Intellectual Humility in Secondary Education)

Moving the Conversation Forward

August 3, 2016 – Kenneth Best – UConn Communications, UConn Today

Middle and high school teachers are on campus this week learning how to use genocide and human rights education to address complex historical and current issues.

The program – The Upstander Academy: Intellectual Humility in Public Discourse Summer Institute – was developed by the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center and the Upstander Project, with assistance from secondary educators in Connecticut.

The week-long session is part of the Humanities Institute’s Public Discourse Project, a research and engagement program examining the role that intellectual humility can play in meaningful public dialogue, and the initial activity sponsored by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation for research on balancing humility and conviction in public life.

The Upstander Academy at UConn is associated with the national Upstander Project, which aims to overcome indifference to social injustice by using learning resources, including documentary films, to motivate individuals to move from being “bystanders” to becoming “upstanders” – people who take action in defense of those who are targeted for harm.

Glenn Mitoma, director of the Dodd Research Center and assistant professor in the Neag School of Education, says the week-long institute focusing on human rights and genocide will be followed by future summer sessions on philosophy and on American Studies. He notes that early secondary education – middle school – is when geography and world history become part of the public school curriculum, providing the opportunity to introduce conflict resolution issues to students. read more

Moving the Conversation Forward

See the Folio at the UConn’s campus art museum, the William Benton Museum of Art, from September 1-25, 2016.

September 1-25, 2016

The First Folio exhibit, which is free and open to the public, can be found at the William Benton Museum of Art from September 1-25, 2016. Located at 245 Glenbrook Road in Storrs, the Benton’s hours are as follows:

Tuesday – Friday, 10 AM – 4:30 PM
Saturday and Sunday, 1 – 4:30 PM

For a Full Schedule of Events click here

The Humanities Institute is pleased to announce the appointment of Alexis L. Boylan as New Associate Director

Alexis L. Boylan, Associate Professor, (Art & Art History and Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies).

Professor Boylan’s research focus is on American art from the colonial to the contemporary periods, with particular emphasis on race and gender. She is succeeding Brendan Kane, Associate Professor (History) who is completing his term as Associate Director.

 

 

 

Congratulations to UCHI Dissertation Fellow Allison Horrocks

This April, 2015-16 UCHI Dissertation Fellow, Allison Horrocks successfully defended her doctoral thesis. She has accepted a position with the National Park Service and the recently established Blackstone River Valley National Historic Park, to begin after she completes her doctorate this May. Encompassing several sites from Worcester, MA, to Providence, RI, the heritage corridor is dedicated to histories of the Industrial Revolution and textiles in the U.S. (http://www.nps.gov/blac/index.htm). Allison will be working with local non-profits and other stakeholders to develop the new park’s engagement plan and public programs.

National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Summer Stipend Program

The Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) would like to announce the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Summer Stipend Program.  The Summer Stipend Program will only accept two nominations per institution (NEH recognizes UConn Storrs and UConn Health Center as separate institutions), and as such the OVPR will be conducting an internal screening process.

Recipients usually produce scholarly articles, monographs, books, digital materials, archaeological site reports, translations, editions, or other scholarly resources while receiving the NEH summer stipend. Successful applicants will be awarded a stipend of $6,000.

NEH Summer stipends support:

·         Individuals pursuing advanced research that is of value to humanities scholars, general audiences, or both.

·         Continuous full-time work on humanities projects for a period of two consecutive months.

·         Projects at any stage of development.

·         Projects beginning May 2017.

Limited Submission

Because only two nominations can be submitted for this program, an internal screening process is required.  If you are considering submitting an application for this program, an on-line Notification of Intent to Submit must be completed by the requested Intent to Submit Deadline.

When submitting pre-proposals for the internal screening process, please review the Guidelines for updates. Pre-proposals not adhering to these guidelines and instructions will be returned.

Program Requirements

Limit:  Two nominations from each institution
Intent to Submit Deadline: 6/6/2016
Internal Screening Deadline: 7/1/2016
Sponsor Deadline:  9/29/2016, 11:59 PM (Eastern Time)
Submit e-proposals to: research@uconn.edu

The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Dean’s Office seeks applicants for a full-time, annually renewable position as a Financial Assistant 1 (UCP 1) for the University of Connecticut Humanities Institute.

The Humanities Institute is an expanding interdisciplinary center facing new and exciting challenges both administratively and intellectually. Under the direction of the Director of the Institute, the incumbent will maintain and be closely involved in the financial and grant-reporting transactions for the Institute’s activities, including the implementation of the Institute’s new multi-million dollar research and engagement project.

Duties and Responsibilities: Analyzing and verifying details of transactions such as invoices, requisitions and other disbursements in conjunction with university and college policies and procedures; providing statistical information on various grant and Institute expenditures and compiling regular reports utilizing electronic spreadsheets and databases; providing data for budget preparation and monitoring expenditures for compliance with approved budget limits and staffing; assisting with organization and implementation of the Institute’s expanding fellowship and event programming and performing related organizational duties as required.

For information about the UCHI, visit http://humanities.uconn.edu/

Minimum Qualifications: Associate’s degree in accounting or bookkeeping and two years’ experience in accounting or bookkeeping.

Preferred Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree; experience in humanities or arts administration, experience or degree in accounting, finance, business or related field; experience working in a higher education setting; excellent communication and interpersonal skills; demonstrated customer service skills and excellent computer skills including experience with Microsoft programs and social media.

Appointment Terms:   This is a full time position through June 30, 2019.  On July 1, 2019, the position will revert to a permanent 54% appointment with the potential for additional hours.

To Apply: For full consideration apply to UConn Careers at http://hr.uconn.edu/jobs/, please upload a well-written letter outlining your qualifications for the position, resume and a list of 3 professional references and their contact information.   Screening will begin immediately and the search will remain open until a suitable candidate is found.  Priority will be given to applications received by May 17.   Employment of the successful candidate is contingent upon the successful completion of a pre-employment criminal background check. (Search # 2016346).

This job posting is scheduled to be removed at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on May 22, 2016.

All employees are subject to adherence to the State Code of Ethics which may be found at http://www.ct.gov/ethics/site/default.asp.

 

The University of Connecticut Humanities Institute is pleased to announce its Residential Faculty and Dissertation Fellowship awards for 2016-17:

External Faculty Fellowships

Robert T. Chase (History – Stony Brook University) – “Civil Rights on the Cell Block: Prisoners’ Rights Movements and the Construction of Carceral States, 1945-1995” Leo J. Garafalo (History – Connecticut College) – “Forging a Place in the Spanish Empire: Black European Sailors, Soldiers, and Traders to the Americas”

UConn Faculty Fellowships

Anna Mae Duane (English) – “Strange Place Blues: The Unusual Education of Three African American Leaders” Mark Healey (History) – “Waterscapes of Power in the Dry Lands of Argentina, 1880-2000”
 Daniel Hershenzon (Literatures, Cultures & Languages) – “Captivity, Commerce, and Communication: Early Modern Spain and the Mediterranean” Daniel Silvermint (Philosophy) – “Complicit Identities: The Ethics of Looking Out for Yourself”
Christine Sylvester (Political Science) – “Objects of War: Whose Wars Are on View? Dimitris Xygalatas (Anthropology) – “Homo Ritualis. Extreme Rituals as Social Technologies”

UConn Dissertation Fellowships:

DRAPER Dissertation Fellow

Jeffrey R. Egan (History) – “Watershed Decisions: The Environmental History of the Quabbin Reservoir, 1880-1940”

  DRAPER Dissertation Fellow

Melanie Meinzer (Political Science) – “Contested Consciousness: Foreign Aid and Palestinian Education in the West Bank and Jordan”

UCHI Dissertation Fellow

Troy Messick (Linguistics) – “The Morphosyntax of Self-Ascription: A Cross-Linguistic Study”

UCHI Dissertation Fellow

George Moore (English) – “The Return of Dagon: Failed Iconoclasm in Early Modern English Literature”