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Andrew Tubbs performing stand-up comedy at the 2019 Symposium, Misfitting: Disability Broadly Considered
Opportunity to explore an important topic using an interdisciplinary lens
The Obermann Symposium (formerly Arts & Humanities Symposium) is an opportunity for UI scholars to explore an important topic using an interdisciplinary lens. Co-directors invite national and international speakers who provide an interdisciplinary response to the theme, and also highlight the work of UI and local experts. The symposium often includes an arts component, as well as opportunities to share pedagogical approaches.
Recent symposia have explored the role of the humanities in understanding and communicating the new age known as the Anthropocene, celebrating and forming a cohesive vision for the study of Latinos in the Midwest, and an examination of Don Quixote as one of literature's most famous exemplars of parody and plagiarism.
This is an award of up to $15,000, including significant staff support. Read more and apply.
2025–26 Obermann Symposium
Directed by Brian R. Farrell, Daria Fisher Page, and Ryan T. Sakoda (UI College of Law), Cultivating Rurality: Building Community around Rural Research will bring together scholars, community leaders, and professionals who work with rural populations and in rural spaces. During the symposium, attendees will be invited to collaborate in theorizing rurality, share how it impacts their work, examine how rurality is represented and celebrated, and problem-solve challenges faced by rural communities, both in Iowa and elsewhere.
The symposium will take place on March 26 and 27, 2026. Cultivating Rurality aims to identify and connect faculty members and others at the University of Iowa who are already engaged in rural research and teaching, and will also include several events open to the public. Participants will leave the symposium with new scholarly tools and professional connections to more effectively address interdisciplinary issues of rurality in the future.
Apply
The application deadline for the 2026–27 Obermann Symposium directorship is October 29, 2025 (5:00 p.m.).
Past Symposia
List of Obermann Symposia and their accompanying Obermann Courses since 1983.
Planning Resources
Obermann Humanities Symposium Planning Guide
Accessible & Inclusive Events Resource Guide (courtesy of the University of Michigan)