VCU’s second annual Humanities Week will highlight their transformative power for real-world challenges

By Sian Wilkerson

In partnership with Virginia Commonwealth University's College of Humanities and Sciences, the VCU Humanities Research Center will present its second annual Humanities Week on Oct. 20-24. The program showcases the transformative power of applied humanities, demonstrating how the critical thinking, cultural analysis, ethical reasoning and communication skills cultivated through humanities education prepare students for impactful and meaningful careers across diverse fields.

"Humanities Week represents everything we value about the power of humanistic inquiry to transform both individuals and communities," said Catherine Ingrassia, Ph.D., dean of the College of Humanities and Sciences. "When we talk about applied humanities, we're not just discussing academic disciplines - we're highlighting how the deep analytical skills, ethical frameworks and cultural understanding that emerge from humanities education become essential tools for addressing real-world challenges. This week celebrates not only what our students learn within our classrooms, but how they apply that learning to create positive change in their communities and professions."

Established in the College of Humanities and Sciences in 2014, the HRC has served as a hub for humanities research at VCU and the greater Richmond area. The center celebrated the first Humanities Week in 2024 while marking its 10th anniversary.

The HRC's achievements include recognition as a universitywide center in 2022, the launch of 10 humanities labs for interdisciplinary research (including two new labs in fall 2025), support for community projects and partnerships, hosting speaker series and several national and international symposia, and awarding hundreds of research and travel grants, fellowships and residential fellowships for both collaborative and individual research projects across campus.

In 2021, the HRC launched On Native Ground, a series of programs aiming to make visible local, national and global Indigenous histories and cultures. That initiative has led to the recent launch of the Indigenous Humanities Lab, funded by a recent grant from the Mellon Foundation. This year, the HRC is partnering with the College of Humanities and Sciences on a new Applied Humanities Initiative.

Among public events for Humanities Week 2025:

• A lecture and faculty-oriented workshop with Scott Muir, director of education advocacy at the National Humanities Alliance, entitled "Applied Humanities: Solving Problems and Equipping for Careers."
• An interactive session with Cristi Cooke, creator of the Pillars of Genius method, on how to "Discover Your Unique Genius: The Foundation of a Meaningful and Successful Career."
• The lecture "Public Humanities in Action: Project-Based Learning that Transforms Communities and Careers," as well as an applied humanities design workshop for students on "Connecting Classroom to Career," featuring Teresa Mangum, Ph.D., professor emerita at the University of Iowa.
• A Dean's Research Seminar event, featuring VCU professors Joshua Eckhardt, Ph.D., of the Department of English, and Aspen Brinton, Ph.D., of the School of World Studies.
• A concluding public lecture for the week - "Humanities and AI: Large Language Models and the Returns of Critical Theory" - by Wendy Chun, Ph.D., Canada 150 Research Chair in New Media, professor in the School of Communication and director of the Digital Democracies Institute at Simon Fraser University.

On Friday, Oct. 24, in partnership with the Valentine, the community is invited to join two on-the-ground tours in "Richmond: Murals of Jackson Ward" at noon and "Richmond: Women of the Gilded Age" at 2 p.m.

"Humanities Week exemplifies what makes VCU distinctive - our commitment to demonstrating that rigorous academic inquiry directly translates to real-world impact," said Cristina Stanciu, Ph.D., professor in the Department of English and director of the Humanities Research Center. "While the sciences ask, 'How does this work?' the humanities ask, 'What does this mean?' and 'How do we make sense of their world?' Our students don't just study literature, history and philosophy; they also develop the analytical and communication skills that employers across industries are actively seeking. Our partnership with the College of Humanities and Sciences allows us to demonstrate that studying the humanities isn't just intellectually enriching, but it is also professionally transformative. These are the skills that will define the next generation of leaders."

For the full lineup of events and registration details, visit the Humanities Week webpage.