Public Humanities Award
Call for nominations
Kaplan Institute Public Humanities Award
Submission deadline: May 3, 2026
About the Award
The Alice Kaplan Institute for the Humanities is pleased to invite nominations for our fourth 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 Dorothy Burge, for her work as an artist, activist, and advocate for survivors of police torture in Chicago; 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 on May 29, 2026.
Nomination process
Nominations will be accepted through May 3, 2026. 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.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=YdN2fXeCCEekd2ToNmzRvMIEiTM2oGtOsG9t4zK3pRdUQ0hOQzdXQzRPTDRHVVYxMFVDSk9FOVMxVC4u&route=shorturl
For more information
Please contact Dr. Jayme Collins, Director of the Public Humanities Graduate Practicum, at jayme.collins@northwestern.edu.