Carnegie Mellon University Humanities Center

Join us on Tuesday, December 2nd! The Humanities Center is dedicated to supporting work that expands how we understand culture, technology, and the human experience. We’re excited to participate in #GivingCMUDay again! 💝

Did you know the term "humanities" comes from a Renaissance-era phrase? The modern concept comes from the Renaissance Latin phrase, studia humanitatis, which translates to the "studies of humanity."

Did you know that one of the earliest and largest libraries in the world was created through a humanities discipline? The famous Library of Alexandria in ancient Egypt was established by humanists who were greatly interested in the Classics and philology.

CMU philosophers and researchers are teaching AI to move beyond simply seeing correlation to understanding causation. By integrating human-like causal structure, this interdisciplinary work is enabling AI to make more realistic creations. bit.ly/42o6Wgv

Stacey Akines, Ph.D. candidate in History at Carnegie Mellon University, has been awarded the 2025 Robert G. Crist Pennsylvania History Prize for her article "Teaching Desegregation: African American Community Education and The Pittsburgh Courier, 1954–1956."

Our Director, @eddafieldsblack, along with History Professor Joe Trotter, will be speaking at the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) Conference to discuss the histories of work, resilience, and contribution. #ASALH #BlackHistory #Humanities

Yesterday, our director Edda Fields-Black visited the Alice Kaplan Institute for the Humanities at Northwestern University and met with Director Laura Brueck. We are inspired by the Institute’s innovative programs are an inspiring model for research, teaching, and collaboration.

"If NEH funding goes away, PA Humanities and the people we serve will face profound losses. Our ability to offer transformational, community-driven programs... would be drastically reduced." -Laurie Zierer Via @HumFed #SavePAHumanities #DefendNEH statehumanities.org/cuts-to-neh-an…

PA Humanities supports libraries through transformational educational programs but the future of this work is uncertain. The NEH is being dismantled and we have been defunded by DOGE. The time to speak up to #SavePAHumanities and #ProtectNEH is now. 📢 pahumanities.org/conversations/…

Baroness Helena Morrissey, a member of the House of Lords, studied philosophy at university. Her humanities courses taught her invaluable skills, and she argues that the humanities are a crucial asset in an age of generative AI. Morrissey's article: telegraph.co.uk/money/jobs/car…

Our humanities professor, Dr. Mame-Fatou Niang, will be a keynote speaker at the 32nd Australian Society for French Studies (ASFS) Conference, hosted by the French Studies program at the University of Melbourne. More info: australiansocietyforfrenchstudies.com/events/asfs-co…

Emily Wilson, the first woman to translate The Iliad (2023) and The Odyssey (2018) into English, will be performing at Carnegie Music Hall (Oakland) on December 13. Free seats are available for students, educators, and library staff/volunteers. Tickets: eventbrite.com/e/internationa…

Check out this week's featured humanities events: local musicians supporting individuals on the autism spectrum, a discussion about Bernadette Mayer's poetry, a book club exploring Pittsburgh in literature, an exhibition celebrating James Baldwin, and a recital by Emily Wilson.

Today's faculty feature: Mariam Wassif, assistant professor of English in Carnegie Mellon University's Department of English! Wassif specializes in literary and cultural studies, rhetoric, race, and material culture in the long 18th century.

Join us for any (or all!) of the following concerts this week at CMU: - Kiltie Band 40th Annual Holiday Concert—today - Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic and Chorus—today - Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic and Chorus: Handel's Messiah—tomorrow (12/6) Read more: cmu.edu/dietrich/news/…

Come destress with CMU Humanities! With the end of the semester approaching, all CMU humanities students are invited to a study break to relax and refresh. Enjoy Mediterranean food, snacks, coffee, and games from 5:00-6:30 pm today in Posner Hall 343. No registration necessary!

TODAY IS THE DAY!! Let's make it count for the #humanities at @CMU_DietrichHSS. Your gift will power the next phase of the Humanities Center under the leadership of @eddafieldsblack . Give today: bit.ly/Give4Humanities #givingCMUday #SupportHumanities #innovatecmu

Today at 3:30 pm—Damien Sojoyner, author of "Against the Carceral Archive: The Art of Black Liberatory Practice," will be speaking as part of the Decolonizing Humanism(?) program by the UCR Center for Ideas and Society. Join the stream: bit.ly/OnViolence2024

Tomorrow is #GivingCMUDay! 🌟 Join us in powering the future of #humanities research at @CMU_DietrichHSS. Your gift will spark bold ideas, amplify innovation, and connect the #humanities to a global audience. Give today: bit.ly/Give4Humanities