Public Humanities Graduate Research Workshop

The Public Humanities Graduate Research Workshop of the Kaplan Humanities Institute provides participants with opportunities to develop professional skills and networks to make their scholarship more relevant, legible, and meaningful to publics across and beyond the university.

As part of this workshop, we explore what constitutes publicly engaged scholarship while developing more grounded communication and translational skills that can help participants pursue a diverse set of careers within and outside of the academy. With an eye to connecting theory to practice, workshop participants are also given research support and mentorship opportunities to pursue their own public humanities projects during the course of the year (see PROJECTS, below).

Following an application process, participants meet twice per quarter in workshop (hybrid format with lunch provided for both on-campus and virtual participants). The initiative also hosts public events throughout the year. These sessions provide participants an opportunity to engage faculty, staff, and professionals—from across Northwestern and other institutions around the country—who can speak to the importance of publicly engaged work but also provide skills training and professional mentorship.  

PROJECTS

As part of the Research Workshop, graduate students will develop a public humanities project over the course of the 2022-2023 academic year, culminating in a public symposium in spring quarter. Through six workshops, participants will explore the full range and impact of publicly-engaged scholarship, bridging theory and practice in their own project and connecting with practitioners and scholars engaged in similar work. The Kaplan Institute will also offer each participant administrative support and $750 in project funds.

Projects can include (but are not limited to) podcasts, public syllabi, short films or other media, walking tours, exhibits, community events, installations, and performances. We welcome any ideas that are of interest to applicants.

The Public Humanities Graduate Research Workshop is sponsored by the Alice Kaplan Institute for the Humanities, the Center for Civic Engagement, and Northwestern Career Advancement

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Conveners

Trish Bredar, ACLS Emerging Voices Fellow of the Kaplan Institute, and Bridgette Hulse, doctoral candidate in the Department of Anthropology.

EVENTS

In addition to the Public Humanities Graduate Research Workshop, the Public Humanities Initiative at Kaplan hosts public events for the wider graduate student community on publicly engaged scholarship and careers outside of the academy. Events will be updated here as they are scheduled.