Anne Gere and Khaled Mattawa have both been selected to participate in the inaugural cohort of the Mellon Program for Humanities and Public Engagement.

The Mellon-funded summer program on public engagement and the humanities will bring together a team of humanities faculty and graduate students to explore, learn, and practice skills to present their research while aiming to narrow the gap between humanities and public audiences outside the university. A small group of six faculty and six graduate students will spend eight weeks during the summer learning tools for public communication, visiting the public humanities ecosystem in Michigan, exploring why collaboration and public engagement matters to the humanities, and developing connections to implement their new knowledge and shared understanding to specific projects that integrate research and public engagement.

The program will consist of a mix of workshops, collaborative work, site visits, and hands-on activities that all allow participants to explore issues of public engagement and the humanities in more depth. Workshops will train participants in collaborative practice, public writing, and public communications. During site visits, participants will travel to local organizations, such as museums, libraries, or nonprofits, where they will have the chance to have a structured conversation with one or more hosts at that organization.