9 faculty awarded Institute for Humanities Research fellowships

IHR Fellow Serena Ferrando's project "City of Water" is a case study for the need to harness the enduring might of poetry to generate, sustain and promote collective narratives for the protection of nonhuman aquatic environment within Milan, Italy. Photo courtesy of Unsplash

By Lauren Whitby |
May 03, 2021

The Institute for Humanities Research (IHR) at Arizona State University has awarded fellowships to eight ASU faculty for the 2021–22 academic year.

The faculty and their respective projects are as follows:

Shamara Alhassan, assistant professor, School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies, "Re-Membering the Maternal Goddess: Rastafari Women's Intellectual History and Activism in the Pan-African World."
Curtis Austin, associate professor, School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies, "Dare to Win: A History of the San Francisco 8."
Alexander Aviña, associate professor, School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies, "A War Against Poor People: Drug Wars, Dirty Wars and the Cold War Origins of Mexico’s Contemporary Violence."
Serena Ferrando, assistant professor, School of International Letters and Cultures, "City of Water: How Poetry Shaped Milan."
Daniel Gilfillan, associate professor, School of International Letters and Cultures, “'The Unsung Planet': Resilience, Resonance and Our Sonic Imagination."
Lisa Han, assistant professor, Department of English, "Benthic Media: Underwater Technology and the Taming of the Seafloor."
Natalie Lozinski-Veach, assistant professor, School of International Letters and Cultures, "Creaturely Constellations: Animals, Language and Critical Thought after Auschwitz."
Francoise Mirguet, associate professor, School of International Letters and Cultures, "Rediscovering Consolation: Can Three Antique Cultures Help Us Reimagine Grief and Its Relief?"
Julia Sarreal, associate professor, School of Humanities, Arts and Cultures Studies, "Yerba Mate: Empire, Nation and Contested Identities."

These fellows will be the first to experience the reimagined fellows program. The new program includes enrollment in the National Council for Faculty Development and Diversity's Faculty Success Program, which provides faculty with the skills needed to increase both research and writing productivity while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

“The new IHR Fellows program is focused on faculty development. It enables dedicated time for writing, research and public humanities work,” said Institute for Humanities Research Associate Director and Desert Humanities Director Ron Broglio.

“Additionally, by partnering with the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity, the fellowship offers guidance in writing, managing the multiple tasks of faculty life and professionalizing for future success.”

Fellowship recipients also receive one course buyout and $1,000 in research funds.

“As the new director for the IHR, this is my first time in reviewing and reading the applications. So while I can't compare to any other cohort, I was impressed by the originality and innovation of the projects,” said new Institute for Humanities Research Director Nicole Anderson.

“I am delighted that the IHR can enable these projects to come to fruition.”

Applications were reviewed by a panel of faculty from The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Division of Humanities. The institute is thankful for the efforts of this committee, which included Chouki El Hamel, Devoney Looser, Calvin Schermerhorn, Hava Tirosh-Samuelson and Michael Tueller.