Society for the Humanities Fellows to Explore 'Survival' at Fall Conference

What might it mean to flourish in a world on the brink of extinction or exhaustion? Current fellows at Cornell's Society for the Humanities are focusing their research on the theme of survival, examining this theme through historical, literary, political, environmental and cultural perspectives.

On Friday, Oct. 30, they will present their works-in-progress in an interdisciplinary conversation at the Fall Fellows' Conference, from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Guerlac Room of the A.D. White House. The event is free and open to the public, and each of the seven presentations will be followed by a discussion with a faculty respondent and audience Q&A.

The 2026-27 focal theme, "Survival" invites scholars and artists to consider how individuals, communities and species endure amid precarity, catastrophe, environmental change, political upheaval and social transformation. The theme asks what it means not simply to live, but to "live on," and explores questions of resilience, renewal, care, creativity, freedom and knowledge in the face of uncertainty.

Read the full story on the College of Arts & Sciences website.