Launched in 2015 as an initiative of the HWW consortium, the Pre-Doctoral Summer Workshop for Students in the Humanities and Related Disciplines welcomes thirty participants each summer from higher education institutions across the United States. HWW Summer Workshop Fellows work in a variety of academic disciplines. They are scholars and practitioners who bring experience in community building, museum curation, filmmaking, radio programming, social media, project management, research, writing, and teaching. They are invested in issues of social justice and seek ways to bring humanistic values, insights, and skills to the public and private sectors. You can see valuable sessions on preparation for diverse careers on the HWW YouTube channel.
In the spirit of practice-oriented learning, HWW partners with entities such as IDEO, a design and consulting firm, to lead students in real-world problem-solving exercises around important contemporary issues. Recognizing that each fellow’s skillset has been primarily oriented toward an academic track, the workshop includes sessions on values-based career planning, resume and cover letter construction, networking, and social media strategies from experts in career development.
Graduates from the workshop emerge with a network of contacts in a range of professional realms; a significantly broadened sense of the career possibilities that await humanities PhDs; a cohort of HWW Summer Workshop Fellows (and friends!) from whom they may draw support and advice; and a set of resources aimed at helping them advance into the various realms considered under the broad rubric of “the public humanities.”
We encourage you to watch this video in which alumni of past summer workshops discuss their experience, the benefits of the workshop, and their advice for those who would like to apply.
The Summer 2021 workshop is underway. Application details for future workshops will be posted on HWW's Summer Workshop page.
Previous HWW Graduate Fellows from the University of Iowa:
Summer 2021
- Andrew Boge, Communication Studies, CLAS
Summer 2018
- Lydia Maunz-Breese, PhD Candidate, Department of English, CLAS
- Makayla Steiner, PhD Candidate, English, CLAS
Summer 2017
- Nikolaos Maggos, PhD Candidate, Department of Philosophy, CLAS
Summer 2016
- Anu Thapa, PhD Candidate, Department of Cinematic Arts, CLAS
- Angela Toscano, PhD Candidate, Department of English, CLAS
Summer 2015
- Noaquia Callahan, PhD candidate, Department of History, CLAS
- Erica Damman, Interdisciplinary PhD candidate, Environmental Humanities, Graduate College