Happy Holidays from the MA Program in Engaged & Public Humanities

In-Person Fall Orientation Took Place August 23

Marking the official start of the fall semester, our brand-new graduate student cohort met in Copley Formal Lounge for the first time. Students were introduced to various campus resources, graduate student life, and the pace of the program – and went on a tour of Georgetown. It was wonderful to see everyone’s (masked!) faces.

Read the profiles of our ENPH grad students.

Michelle May-Curry Joined ENPH Instructors

Dr. Michelle May-Curry taught ENPH- 503 “Humanities in the World.” In her course, students are introduced to a wide range of potential careers using humanities-based skills and knowledge. As part of the course, students consider experiential approaches to the humanities and consult with the Georgetown Graduate Career Center. Dr. May-Curry is a recent transplant from Boston, and works at the National Humanities Alliance as the project director Humanities for All. According to our current students, she is the coolest person we all know!

Read more about Professor May-Curry on the Faculty and Staff page.

Ross Shelton shares his takeway from the conference: “The National Humanities Conference offered a window into the boots-on-the-ground humanists inside and outside the academy who are doing engaged and public work. From reading groups to oral history projects, it was really empowering to see like-minded professionals developing the kinds of work we have been studying the past semester.”

María José Pareja Rozo wrote about her experience attending the “What Does it Mean to Engage in Ethical Community Work? Overview of the Race and Oral History Project” conference.

“Booksellers and Community Activism” Chanel Williams, Current Grad Student, Co-Moderates

The Georgetown Humanities Initiative’s last event for the semester was co-moderated by ENPH graduate student, Chanel Williams. The event featured Ramunda Lark Young, owner and co-founder of the nationally-recognized Mahogany Books, a bookstore focused on books for, by, and about people of the African Diaspora in Washington, DC, and Angela Maria Spring, a poet, journalist, and editor who in 2017 launched Duende District Bookstore, a boutique bookstore run by people of color for people of color.

Find more information and the event recording on our past events section.

Introducing New ENPH Instructors Michael Coventry and Jessica Lu

In Spring 2022, Dr. Michael Coventry will be teaching ENPH 502 “Culture and Communicating for the Public Sphere: Oral/Print/ Digital Media” on Wednesday nights and Dr. Jessica Lu will be teaching ENPH 504 “Digital Humanities in the Services of Public Humanities” on Monday nights. Dr. Coventry has an extensive background in public communication and writing, and we welcome him back to Georgetown! Dr. Lu was the Assistant Director of the first African American History, Culture, & Digital Humanities Initiative team from 2017-2019, where she also provided mentorship and instruction in digital skills (including critical cartography, network analysis, data modeling, feminist design, and data visualization) to graduate students, faculty, and community activists. I am excited to have both these faculty join our instructional team.

November Open House Featured Conversations with Current Students

On November 4, Christine Tolentino, ENPH program coordinator, and I held a virtual open house for prospective students. Interested folks tuned in from around the world – Shanghai, Istanbul, Manila, Riverside, CA – to find out more about the MA program. Two current students, Alison Romano and Cassie Houy, were gracious enough to answer questions in breakout rooms. We’re expecting to hold another open house in the spring, probably in February. Until then, you can also send questions to the program coordinator.

Looking Ahead to Spring 2022

The current graduate student cohort will be entering into their second semester in the program and arranging internships for the summer. We have some events in the works, too! Remember, priority applications are due Jan 15, 2022 – and the application fee is waived! All applications are due April 1, 2022, to be considered for the 2022-2023 cohort.

Hoya Saxa,
Dr. Hartmann-Villalta