The Obermann Center is delighted to be a member of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation-funded Humanities Without Walls consortium, led by the University of Illinois Program for Research in the Humanities. Already, our graduate students and faculty are benefiting from this innovative partnership. Note: A second round of applications will be invited soon for summer 2015 seed grants. In fall 2015, we will invite applications for the summer 2016 graduate workshop. Visit our website for details.

Congratulations to History PhD candidate Noaquia Callahan (CLAS) and Environmental Humanities PhD candidate Erica Damman (Graduate College), who will represent the UI at the HWW Alternative Academic Workshop in Chicago this summer.

We also celebrate the success of three UI colleagues who will participate in research groups funded by the HWW Global Midwest initiative. Kim Marra (Theatre Arts and American Studies, CLAS), Meredith Alexander (Theatre Arts, CLAS) are among 14 investigators working on Perform Midwest: Incubating Collaborative Research led by Holly Hughes  Art and Design and Theatre and Drama, University of Michigan). With their $80,000 grant, the artists and scholars will illuminate how the presence of animals invites unexpected questions about the historical and contemporary Midwest, among other projects.

Christine Shea (Spanish & Portuguese, CLAS) is a member of The Midwest Heritage Language Network, led by Glenn Martínez (Spanish & Portuguese, Ohio State University). The group will study language use and learning in the Global Midwest, supported by a $20,000 grant.