Center for the Humanities

Established in 1983 through donor support and funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Loyola University Maryland's Center for the Humanities is dedicated to enhancing the strength and vision of the humanities at Loyola. Each academic year, the Center for the Humanities sponsors lectures, performances, faculty sabbaticals, research initiatives and other programs focused on this important goal.

The humanities form an essential part of Loyola's Jesuit, Catholic intellectual tradition, but their study must continue to be rediscovered, renewed and reclaimed in order to remain vibrant. Humanities faculty members play an important role in this effort, but can't do it alone. The Center for the Humanities encourages program and project proposals from all members of the Loyola community. As a student, your ideas are especially welcome.

Humanities Symposium

Each year the Center's Humanities Symposium organizes a semester-long series of lectures and cultural events centered on a specific theme and text. The Modern Masters series brings eight to ten nationally renowned poets and writers to campus each year while individual departments in the humanities host lectures and seminars by important scholars. Recent Past Symposium included:

• 2009 : Communing with Food - Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma
• 2008: Judge, Judge Not - William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure
• 2007: Urban Spaces, Urban Voices - James Howard Kunstler, The Death and Life of Great American Cities

Several programs are devoted to music and exhibitions in the fine arts. Especially popular among undergraduate students is the International Film Series, also sponsored by the Center for the Humanities.

Undergraduate Fellowships and Research Assistant Programs

The Center for the Humanities funds undergraduate students in summer fellowships. These fellowships support student work on either scholarly or creative projects in the humanities for 10 consecutive weeks under the direction of a full-time Loyola faculty member. Students receive a $3000 stipend and are eligible for a discounted rate for on-campus summer housing. Also, during the academic year, the Center provides funding for faculty to hire students to assist with research and related clerical work.

Off-campus Opportunities

Beyond Loyola's campus, the Center funds internships for students that are otherwise unpaid and sponsors summer study abroad programs.