UW College of Arts and Sciences to Host Humanities Summit Oct. 8-9

The University of Wyoming College of Arts and Sciences will host the UW Humanities Summit at the Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 8-9.

The event will bring together leading scholars, educators and advocates from across the nation to explore the future of the humanities in research and education.

“We are thrilled to host the Humanities Summit at the University of Wyoming,” says College of Arts and Sciences Dean Scott Turpen. “This event represents a unique opportunity to bring together many of the brightest minds in the field to discuss and shape the positive future of the humanities.”

The summit will feature more than 20 thought leaders in the industry from around the country, including directors of humanities institutes and UW faculty experts. They will speak on topics ranging from innovative strategies for advancing the humanities to shaping the future of education and research in this field.

On Oct. 7, there will be a pre-summit National Endowment for the Humanities workshop, featuring Division of Research Programs Director Christopher Thornton. Guests are invited to attend one day of the summit or all three.

The first day of the summit Oct. 8 will be national in scope and feature professionals from major national funding and research agencies, such as the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mellon Foundation, the State Department and the National Humanities Center, as well as directors of state and university humanities institutes and centers.

The second day will shift focus to local and regional themes, applying national-level insights to humanities and outreach issues for UW, Wyoming and the Rocky Mountain region, with invited public-sector leaders and representatives of the Wyoming Humanities Council, the UW Foundation, UW faculty, graduate and undergraduate humanities students, alumni and other Wyoming and regional stakeholders.

“By fostering dialogue among scholars, educators and leaders within the state and region, we wish to generate new ideas and partnerships that will be fruitful for all and have a lasting impact on our understanding, appreciation and support of the humanities,” Turpen says.

To learn about the speakers who will be present at the summit, visit www.uwyo.edu/as/humanities-summit/speakers.html.

The event is free and open to the public. To learn more and register for this event, visit www.uwyo.edu/as/humanities-summit.

For more information, email UW Associate Professor Alexandra Kelly at akelly13@uwyo.edu.