Upcoming Events

Don't Panic! Rethinking How We Frame Difficult Content in the Classroom promotional image

Don't Panic! Rethinking How We Frame Difficult Content in the Classroom

Thursday, February 20, 2025 4:00pm
Phillips Hall
Join us for a conversation about trigger warnings, content alerts, and other approaches to teaching potentially upsetting topics — led by Newell Ann Van Auken, Associate Professor of Instruction, Division of World Languages, Literatures, & Cultures. Co-hosted by the Center for Language and Culture Learning, the Center for Asian and Pacific Studies (CAPS), and the Chinese Humanities and Arts Workshop (CHAW), an Obermann Working Group.
Artist Talk with Jerron Herman promotional image

Artist Talk with Jerron Herman

Thursday, February 20, 2025 5:00pm to 6:30pm
Public Space One
Join us for an inspiring conversation with acclaimed choreographer and disabled artist Jerron Herman, an artist compelled to create images of freedom.
Book Matters: Brady G’Sell and Meena Khandelwal in conversation with Elana Buch promotional image

Book Matters: Brady G’Sell and Meena Khandelwal in conversation with Elana Buch

Tuesday, February 25, 2025 7:00pm to 8:30pm
Prairie Lights Books
Join us for a reading and discussion, co-sponsored by Prairie Lights, to celebrate recent works from Brady G’Sell and Meena Khandelwal, faculty in the University of Iowa Department of Anthropology and the Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies Program. After the reading, Elana Buch, associate professor of anthropology, will join G’Sell and Khandelwal for a conversation and Q&A with the audience. Light refreshments will follow.
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News

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Obermann Center seeks ABD PhD student for '25-'26 Program Coordinator position

Tuesday, January 21, 2025
The Obermann Center for Advanced Studies is seeking an advanced (ABD) humanities or social sciences PhD student to work with the Obermann staff to support programs and events and tell the stories of the exciting research projects and initiatives supported by the Center. This is a professional position that is geared toward a student who is interested in careers beyond the professoriate (e.g., at academic research centers, national professional organizations, nonprofits, etc.). The position requires both creativity and detail-oriented work, including writing, editing, data entry, and interacting with members of the UI and surrounding community. The Program Coordinator will become a valued member of our close-knit team and will ultimately gain from the position a valuable store of administrative, event planning, publicity, marketing, interviewing, problem-solving, and project management skills that will be applicable to any professional work environment. Because we are a small team with each person performing multiple roles, the worker in this position must also be prepared to help with other tasks as they arise.
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CSSI Invites Applications for Co-Sponsored Fall 2025 Obermann International Fellowships Program

Monday, January 13, 2025
The Center for Social Science Innovation (CSSI) is pleased to announce its co-sponsorship of a Fall 2025 Obermann Center for Advanced Studies International Fellowship. The fellowship program provides international researchers and artists with the opportunity to develop collegiate collaborations and pursue independent work at the University of Iowa. CSSI will co-sponsor one fellow who aims to conduct innovative social science research on campus. Prospective fellows can request a CSSI co-sponsorship within their application. In tandem with the benefits provided by the Obermann Center, fellows co-sponsored by CSSI will be provided with a quiet, dedicated office space at CSSI and access to the Center’s amenities (such as meeting rooms, break areas, and office support).
Jose Fernandez

Humanities Without Walls Externship Program Fosters Career Diversity, Community Collaboration

Thursday, December 5, 2024
At some point, every student pursuing a graduate degree in the humanities has been asked, “So you're going to be a professor?” Humanities PhDs and MAs are often seen as hyperspecialized degrees useful only in the realm of academia—but in fact, the analytical and communication skills, as well as the broad understanding of culture attained through high-level study of the humanities, sets students up for success in a variety of careers, especially in the nonprofit sector. As globalization and rapid technological advancements are transforming the job market and accelerating its pace of change, it’s essential that graduate students be prepared to apply their skills in unexpected ways. University faculty, however, are not typically trained to guide these students toward meaningful, productive careers outside of academia.

Featured Programs

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Obermann International Fellowships

An open invitation to scholars from around the world

The Obermann Center now offers flexible fellowships for international researchers and artists to develop collaborations and pursue independent work at our beautiful Iowa City campus. Fellowships offer dedicated space, time, and funding for scholars and artists based outside of the United States to develop collaborations and pursue independent work at the University of Iowa. Up to eight international fellowships will be granted every academic year, and fellows will receive a $2,000 stipend, office space at the Obermann Center, access to University of Iowa libraries, and other benefits.

Obermann International Fellowships are funded by the University of Iowa's Obermann Center for Advanced Studies with generous additional support from International Programs.

Applications for Fall 2025 fellowships are due February 15, 2025.

Mark Simpson-Vos

Obermann Editor-in-Residence

Spring 2025: Mark Simpson-Vos

This new program connects University of Iowa faculty and graduate student researchers with university press editors. Starting in Spring 2025, every year the Obermann Center will bring an accomplished editor from a scholarly press to campus for a short residency that includes workshops and presentations.The workshops support faculty and graduate students from disciplines in which publishing a monograph is expected. The Editor-in-Residence program also aims to emphasize the crucial role that publishing professionals play in academia. 

This program is funded by the Office of the Vice President for Research's Writing for the Public Good P3 initiative.

Butterflies coming out of a book

Book Ends: Obermann/OVPR Book Completion Workshop

This program supports University of Iowa faculty from disciplines in which publishing a monograph is required for tenure and promotion. The award is designed to assist faculty members turn promising manuscripts into important, field-changing, published books. Book Ends brings together a panel of senior scholars for a candid, constructive three-hour workshop on a faculty member’s book manuscript. The award provides a $500 honorarium for two external senior scholars ($500 for each). We will also ask one University of Iowa senior faculty member to participate.

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