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Public Humanities Award

Call for nominations

Kaplan Institute Public Humanities Award

Submission deadline: February 15, 2025

About the Award

The Alice Kaplan Institute for the Humanities is pleased to invite nominations for our third annual Public Humanities Award. This award is intended to recognize an individual whose humanistic work has had a significant, positive, and lasting impact beyond the university. We consider the Public Humanities to encompass any humanistic work that substantively engages with communities beyond the academy, including but not limited to activism, digital projects, curation, and community-engaged research, pedagogy, and partnerships. Preference will be given to individuals whose work has had some connection to the Northwestern community or those whose work has had a particular impact in Evanston or the greater Chicago area.

Past Public Humanities Award recipients have included Morris (Dino) Robinson, Jr., for his many years of substantial contributions to the humanities through the Shorefront Legacy Center, and Ashley Cheyemi McNeil, for uplifting marginalized voices through work in the independent film community, the TEAACH Act, and with Northwestern undergraduates.

This year’s recipient will receive a $5,000 cash award and will be recognized at the Kaplan Public Humanities Symposium in April. 

Nomination process

Nominations will be accepted through February 15, 2025. Self nominations are welcome. Members of the Northwestern community are particularly encouraged to nominate collaborators and community partners from outside the university.

Please use the following form to submit your nomination: https://forms.gle/fwt8rbibMdHGH6R86

For more information

Please contact Dr. Trish Bredar, Director of the Public Humanities Graduate Practicum, at trish.bredar@northwestern.edu.