What We Do

Douglass Center Fellowship

The year-long fellowship supports the public humanities work of Arts and Humanities faculty and graduate students that inform movements for social justice and transform our worldview. With a conviction that the humanities are central to leadership, the fellowship is intended to cultivate a collective of humanities scholars and thinkers whose work offers immense potential for bridging the gaps between the community and the university; provide financial support for a public-facing or publicly-engaged research project that advances the humanities as a tool for social change; and provide an opportunity to showcase the fellow’s project. Fellows receive $5000 during the summer to support their project, workshops related to public engagement, the opportunity to be in community with and alongside other faculty and graduate students committed to social change, and access to shared office and meeting space in the Douglass Center office. Learn more about the fellowship.

Lessons in Leadership

The Lessons in Leadership Series offers an opportunity to learn from the journey, challenges, and convictions of individuals who have committed themselves to the service of humanity. We take an expansive view of leadership that includes anyone who has taken the time to learn about the issues, contexts, and communities they are engaged with and decided to offer or fight for solutions that benefit the public good.

Summer Institute

The Maryland Humanities Summer Institute brings together current and pre-service teachers, community-based educators, and scholars to offer practical applications of ideas, resources, and techniques that can be immediately applied to our collective learning spaces. Educators are essential leaders endowed with the responsibility to empower people. The Summer Institute provides a space for these leaders to learn new and creative tools to aid them in their work.

ARHU Dissertation Writing Circle

This Dissertation Writing Circle is designed for UMD students who are seeking to make progress on their dissertations. Led by Douglass Center Graduate Assistants, it is meant to provide a means of accountability and structure to this stage of the doctoral process. Students selected from various departments can expect this to be an intentional, yet informal space, to gather in community in-person once a week for focused writing time alongside their peers for one semester.