UR launches Humanities Center

The University of Richmond has launched a new initiative, the Humanities Center, to support and promote research and scholarship in the humanities across the university. The center will highlight the importance of humanities disciplines and offer opportunities for students and faculty to engage in collaborative work.

"The humanities at UR are not defined as a set of majors, minors, or departments, rather these disciplines are a cluster of intellectual practices that get taken up in every field of study across all of the University’s five schools,” said Nathan Snaza, director of the Humanities Center. He emphasized the critical role of the humanities in fostering an understanding of history, developing philosophical reasoning skills, and analyzing texts that shape our lives.

Each year, the Humanities Center will select a theme to guide its programming. The inaugural theme, "How (and why) do we represent nature?" aims to encourage ecological awareness in light of climate change. This theme will be incorporated into coursework, independent study, and community events.

The center will collaborate with existing UR programs like Humanities Connect and the Humanities Fellows Program to expand research opportunities for students and faculty. Additionally, it will partner with student-facing offices to showcase the career value of a humanities degree, emphasizing the critical thinking, communication, and decision-making skills developed through these programs.

"Students who study the humanities develop skills in critical thinking, communication, and decision making, all of which are attractive to employers,” said Amy Howard, associate provost for strategic initiatives and community engagement. “The Humanities Center reflects UR’s commitment to the humanities as a foundation of learning.”

The Humanities Center will host the 2024-25 Tucker-Boatwright Festival of Literature & the Arts in partnership with the English department and will organize other public events throughout the year.