Humanities Division

Three UW faculty, including two from Arts and Sciences, have been elected senators of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, the nation's most prestigious academic honor society. The election of three senators from one university is unprecedented.

Two stories about the Castalia Reading Series, 20 years apart.

Albert von Keller's early 20th century paintings, on view at the Frye Art Museum, explore the occult. To place his work in context, the Frye and the UW Department of Germanics are presenting a three-lecture series, “Connections and Contexts: Evenings on German Art and Culture.”

Spain’s King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofiá participated in the May dedication of a new UW center housed in León, Spain, along with UW leaders, supporters, and students.

To provide more opportunities to interact with locals, French and Italian Studies' program in Italy now includes volunteer work and stays in both Rome and a small village in southern Italy.

How much can an A&S undergrad accomplish at the UW? If the College’s 2010 Dean’s Medalists are any indication, the possibilities are nearly limitless. Learn how these top students have made the most of their time as Huskies. 

Students in the course ”Fashion, Nation, and Culture” may never look at a three-piece suit the same way again. Or stilettos. Or any other article of clothing. The course explores Italian culture from the late medieval period through the present day through the study of clothing. 

How's this for a course assignment? Fall in love with a novel and three poems. The assignment hints at what's to come in Writers on Writing, a lecture course designed to remind students that "literature is a joy." 

H Stewart Parker ('79, '81) spent nearly two decades at the helm of Targeted Genetics. Now she brings her considerable talents to her role as chair of the College of Arts and Sciences Board. 

The Department of Scandinavian Studies celebrates its centennial on September 26 with a tree-planting ceremony, live performances, and lots and lots of meatballs.

With support from a major Challenge Grant, the UW Simpson Center for the Humanities is planning a Digital Humanities Commons to create and evaluate the next generation of digital humanities scholarship. 

Disappointed by the depiction of Helen of Troy in a recent film, Ruby Blondell was inspired to research Helen, whom she describes as “simultaneously the supreme object of men’s desire and the instrument, or agent, of their destruction.” 

The UW's field school at Tel Dor, Israel, took center stage recently when a student unearthed a very rare gemstone, carved with a portrait of Alexander the Great, that dates back to about 230 BCE. 

In a new book, Robert Heilman's life—including his years as chair of the Department of English—is presented through letters to and from colleagues and renowned writers from Theodore Roethke to Wallace Stegner.