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What is the Humanities Center?
As scholars in the humanities and humanistic social sciences at the 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳, we examine human culture in its myriad forms: literature, language, media, philosophy, religion, history, anthropology, visual and performing arts, and much more. We are committed to critical thinking, reasoned discourse, inclusiveness, civility, empathy, and compassion—values that lie at the center of humanistic inquiry and that are essential for a thriving democratic citizenry. The Humanities Center, located in Rush Rhees Library, is our home base for interdisciplinary exchange and collaboration. We offer programs for faculty, students, and the public. To become an affiliate of the Center and receive emails about our events, contact humanities@rochester.edu.
Upcoming Events
Recent News
Faculty Spotlight: William Bridges
Congratulations to associate professor in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures and former Humanities Center Executive Committee member William Bridges, who has been awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship to conduct archival research and write a monograph about the history of modern Japanese literature and its connection to Black studies, Asian American studies, and Latinx studies. The monograph, titled The Black Pacific: A Poetic History, has been invited for review by the University of California Press.
2025-2026 Internal Fellows
We are excited to welcome a new cohort of internal fellows for the 2025-2026 academic year. Please join us in congratulating:
Lisa Cerami, Assistant Professor of Instruction in German, Modern Languages and Cultures
Melanie Chambliss, Assistant Professor of History
Vialcary Crisóstomo Tejada, Assistant Professor of Spanish, Modern Languages and Cultures
Laura Smoller, Professor of History
The Humanities Center
Fostering Interdisciplinary Collaboration
In the Humanities Center, faculty, fellows, students, affiliates, and the public gather to collaborate and create community. Seminars, workshops, lectures, digital projects and other forms of humanistic inquiry animate our beautiful new space in Rush Rhees Library.
With majors and degree programs that incorporate dozens of disciplines.
Comprised of hundreds of courses based in the School of Arts and Sciences.