T will mark its 25th anniversary this spring with a series of free talks, panel discussions, and films exploring how the humanities create knowledge and enhance the human experience.
The will kick off with a conversation with African futurist writer ; , a professor of African and African American studies; and , an assistant professor of film and media studies. Okorafor is a New York Times bestselling writer of science fiction and fantasy who has produced novels, comics, short fiction, and young adult literature. The public event—called Storytelling as Archive, Critique, Hope—will be held at 6 p.m. on April 7 in Loew Auditorium.
, who directs the Leslie Center, says the events convene members of the Dartmouth community, including three dozen , to think critically together about the broad capacities of the humanities today in terms of research, analysis, civic life, and all types of careers.
“The institute will jumpstart a new round of conversation on campus about the humanities, defining them again for today’s complex world and generating a new cohort of folks able to speak about the powerful role of the humanities in idea and knowledge generation,” says Biron, who is also a professor of Spanish and Portuguese and serves on the board of the nonprofit .
“Bringing together Dartmouth students, faculty members, and other scholars at the forefront of humanities research for this special institute is a fitting and exciting way to celebrate the Leslie Center’s vital work over the past 25 years,” says, associate dean of the Arts and Humanities.
A 360 degree view of the humanities
Humanities Work will comprise related to the humanities: Methods, April 7 to 11; Impacts, April 21 to 25; and Careers, May 12 to 15.
The goal is to refresh campus energy, advocacy, and knowledge regarding the humanities in general, and also empower students to understand the value of a humanities background in achieving success in any field, whether that be business, law, engineering, education, communications, the arts, government, human services, or advanced research, Biron says.
“Over the past 25 years, the Leslie Center has strengthened the humanities at Dartmouth and in the Upper Valley through an impressive array of events and programs,” says , dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. “I commend Rebecca Biron for leading this ambitious anniversary celebration, which will demonstrate in myriad ways how vital the humanities are to our society.”
The wide-ranging includes screenings of the documentaries Coded Bias and Honeyland and talks by philosopher Alva Noë; , associate director of curatorial affairs and curator of Indigenous art at the Hood Museum of Art; , chair of the ; and , Distinguished Chair, Digital Humanities and Social Engagement.
Among the other highlights are a cartooning workshop with James Sturm, co-founder of the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, Vt., and a presentation on career coaching in the humanities led by , executive director of the Center for Career Design.
Advancing meaning and creativity
Over the years, the Leslie Center has advanced the study of meaning, purpose, and creativity in the human experience, supporting research and projects that engage Dartmouth and the broader community.
It funds faculty-led institutes, faculty development workshops, and special projects in the humanities. It is also home to a group of undergraduate courses that includes the selective first-year , team-taught Humanities 3 courses, and summer offerings of Humanities 4.
Recently, the center has expanded its undergraduate fellowship program, which can help supplement unpaid internships or fund independent mentor-supported research projects in the humanities. While supporting more than a dozen faculty working groups on humanities topics spanning various disciplines and academic departments, the center also hosts the and in 2022 created the Venn Vision awards, which fund multidisciplinary projects pursued by teams of faculty.
In addition to public events, Humanities Work events will also include seminars for the fellows, who will discuss the speakers, films, and selected readings.
Jude Poirier ’28, a quantitative social science major with minors in public policy and education, expects taking part in the fellowship will enhance his education.
“Someday, I hope to work in policy and to use my quantitative background to make evidence-oriented solutions to social issues,” says Poirier, who is from Tucson, Ariz. “I think that crafting responsible policy also requires a serious understanding of the human experience, and this opportunity will augment my mostly methods-oriented education with a real investigation of humanistic ideas.”
Faculty fellow , chair of the , says she’s excited about the power of applying “humanities thinking”—close attention to detail and nuance—to shared experiences.
“Will it turn out that two people who sat next to each other for a lecture heard completely different things?” asks Tarnowski, who serves on the . The opportunity to develop the notion that words, texts, and meaning are not fixed, but are, instead, evolving, leads to “shifts of perspective that can really affect what people think of what has been said or read.”
“Those are important moments,” she adds.
, a Mellon Faculty Fellow and assistant professor of Native American and Indigenous Studies who came to Dartmouth last summer, said they were “really drawn” to the fellowship because of the opportunity to make new academic and other connections on campus.
They’re especially looking forward to the talk by Okorafor, whose latest book, Death of the Author, is on the fellows’ reading list.
“I was going to read the book, and I was going to go to the event,” Ornelas says. “This worked out perfectly.”
Nyasha Jongwe ’26, an undergraduate Leslie fellow from Zimbabwe who is majoring in women’s, gender and sexuality studies and African and African American studies, says she looks forward to deepening her understanding of how the humanities can drive social change and collaborating with others who grapple with questions “such as the future of the humanities in our increasingly digitized world.”
“I’m hoping to walk away with a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities in the humanities and a fresh sense of purpose in applying my current and future work for positive change,” says Jongwe.
