Humanities Archives - Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP)

Assistant Professor Argelia González Hurtado Awarded 2021 SSHRC Insight Development Grant

August 17, 2021

Argelia González Hurtado, assistant professor of Spanish, has been awarded an Insight Development Grant from the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). González Hurtado received, along with María Soledad Paz-Mackay from St. Francis Xavier University, the IDG grant in the amount of $59, 249 CAD for a two-year period to conduct research about cinematic landscape in Argentinian and Mexican cinema. This collaborative research project between González Hurtado and Paz-Mackay will explore the complex meaning of rural landscape in recent narrative films from Argentina and Mexico that portray new identities shaped by socio-political changes at the turn of the 21st century.

SSHRC is the most important Canadian federal research funding agency in the promotion and support of research and training in the humanities and social sciences. Through its Insight Development Grants program, SSHRC supports research in its initial stages, enabling the development of new research questions as well as experimentation with new and innovative methods or ideas.

Professor of History Christine Adams Interviewed on Her Work as a Newberry Library Fellow

February 5, 2021

Professor of History Christine Adams, on sabbatical work as a Newberry Library residential fellow through June 2021, was interviewed recently about the Newberry Library, her current project: The Merveilleuses and their Impact on the French Social Imaginary, 1794–1799 and Beyond, and on how the events of the past twelve months have impacted her project.

Adams described how current events have affected the way she’s approached her project. Her research is focused on “a really tense and chaotic moment in French history, right after the Terror has come to an end, and the French are trying to stabilize the country (they are at war and the economy is really suffering; in 1795 and 1796 in particular, misery is rampant throughout the country), and they are dealing with immense political divisions. My research has provided a lens to think about current events, and current events have been in the back of my mind as I work on this project.”

Adams’s full interview, along with additional Newberry Fellows, can be read here.

Professor Christine Adams Receives Two Prestigious Fellowships

May 22, 2020

Christine Adams, professor of history, received two prestigious fellowships: one through the American Council on Learned Societies (ACLS) and the other from the Newberry Library, both long-standing, preeminent pillars of American scholarship in the humanities. Competition for these long-term fellowships was especially steep last year, with a success rate of about 7 percent and 9 percent, respectively. Adams will be an ACLS fellow for the 2020-2021 academic year, and a fellow-in-residence at the Newberry Library in Chicago from January-June of 2021. Both fellowship programs support outstanding scholars conducting innovative and ground-breaking research. ACLS fellows pursue their scholarship anywhere in the world whereas Newberry residential fellows become part of an interdisciplinary community of researchers, curators, and librarians at the Newberry Library where they will have access to wide-ranging and rare archival materials.

During the fellowship year, Adams will conduct research on her newest project, entitled “The Merveilleuses and their Impact on the French Social Imaginary, 1795-1799 and Beyond,” which she describes as follows:“The Merveilleuses (“Marvelous Ones”), a group of approximately 100 stylish and politically-connected young Parisian women, came to define the era of the Directory (1794–1799). Following the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror, these chic young women set the tone in French society until Napoleon’s coup in 1799. This project considers the Merveilleuses as a cultural phenomenon as well as their function in the historical imaginary and illuminates how the fixation on their beauty, style, and sexuality has obscured their political and cultural significance.”

Adams is the author or coeditor of five books including her new book with co-author (and sister) Tracy Adams entitled, “The Creation of the French Royal Mistress: From Agnès Sorel to Madame Du Barry,” (2020, Penn State University Press).

Professor Başaran Receives Three-month Fulbright Global Scholar Research Award

April 21, 2020

Professor of Religious Studies Betül Başaran has won a three-month Fulbright Global Scholar Research award for the Spring 2021 Semester to conduct critically important archival research in England and India for her book project on the legacy and impact of Princesses Niloufer (1916-1989) and Durrushehvar (1914-2006).

Başaran’s host institutions will be the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, The Centre for Historical Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi, and the Centre for Deccan Studies in Hyderabad. As a Fulbright Global Scholar, she will give lectures about her research at each of these institutions, and organize seminars with students who have an interest in Islamic Studies and Gender Studies.

Başaran’s project underscores the agency of Muslim women as important role models and pioneers in world history, in contrast to the contemporary western narrative most prevalent today that reduces them to mere victims or religious extremists.

The story of late Ottoman princesses and their cross-cultural journeys present a unique perspective to investigate the intertwined themes of international politics, religion, royalty, and Muslim women’s agency during a turbulent period of major social and political transformations in the 20th century. The princesses belonged to the Ottoman dynasty and were condemned to life-long exile after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire following World War I. Their life is a fascinating story of exile from Turkey to the French Riviera, followed by royal glamor in India as daughters-in-law of Hyderabad’s last independent ruler, where they evolved from foreign brides into cultural ambassadors dedicated to women’s empowerment.

Başaran’s project aims to enhance our understanding of the role of Ottoman princesses as transnational and cross-cultural agents for change during the 20th century.

Assistant Professor Malena Receives Society-wide Award for Research

April 16, 2020

Sarah Malena, assistant professor of history, has received the Society of Biblical Literature’s 2020 Regional Scholar Award. Malena was awarded for her paper entitled, “A House for Pharaoh’s Daughter: Diplomatic Marriage and Solomon’s Legacy,” which she presented at the 2019 Mid-Atlantic regional meeting. Her recognition as the Mid-Atlantic recipient of this honor last year made her eligible for this society-wide award.

Malena continues her research into relations between ancient Israel and Egypt during the early Iron Age (circa 1100-900 BCE). Last November, she presented at the annual meetings for the Society of Biblical Literature and the American Schools of Oriental Research. In these presentations, she discussed changes in cultural acceptance of foreign brides in relation to political change in the ancient Near East. As the 2020 Regional Scholar, she will present the next stage of this work at the Society of Biblical Literature’s annual meeting later this year.

Professor Brodsky Awarded $6,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities

April 15, 2020

Adriana Brodsky, professor of history, was awarded a summer stipend of $6,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities to complete the book-length monograph titled “Jewish Argentine Youth, 1940-1976.” As Jews were persecuted and murdered in Europe, Argentine Jews looked to the youth for salvation. This manuscript traces how Argentine Jewish youth responded to that and other calls to action as they lived through defining global and local moments. Through their responses, Argentine Jewish Youth played a central role in modernizing their community(ies) in Argentina, and in shaping ethnic identities both in Argentina and in Israel. Brodsky did research for the project in Israel on a Fulbright Senior Scholar award in 2018.

SMCM students present at 2019 National Conference on Undergraduate Research

April 23, 2019

From left to right: Katie Gross, Alejandra Diaz, Rachel Yates, Alana Demones, and Katherine Kempton

SMCM International Languages & Cultures students Kathleen (Katie) Gross, Alejandra Diaz, Rachel Yates, Alana Demones and Katherine Kempton presented their research projects at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, GA, held from April 10-13, 2019. Katie Gross and Rachel Yates were awarded the Geneva Boone Award to support presenting their St. Mary’s Projects (SMP) at the conference. The Geneva Boone Award for Outstanding St. Mary’s Projects is given annually to support students who will present work from their SMP to a wider audience beyond the College.

NCUR is an annual conference promoting undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative activity done in partnership with faculty or other mentors and is sponsored by the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR). As part of SMCM’s enhanced institutional membership with CUR, all students, staff, and faculty can become members and have access to CUR publications, webinars, and reduced rates for conferences and events such as NCUR.

Katie Gross’s SMP is titled: “Racial Discourse and Why it Matters: White Privilege, Race and Colorblindness in France and America”. Alejandra Diaz presented: “The Cultural, Economic and Educational Impact in Latin America of Technology in the Age of Globalization: Latin America as Adopter and Agent of Technology Development”. Rachel Yates’s SMP is called: “The Académie française vs. Anglicism: Franglais and the politics of language in France’s Fifth Republic”. Alana Demones is researching: “Black and White: How language reflects Colorism in China”, while Katherine Kempton’s SMP is titled: “I am from the Gutter Too”: Institutions, Power, and Identity Formation in Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables”.

Dr. Brandon Guernsey, Visiting Assistant Professor of French, stated that the International Languages & Cultures Department is very proud of these students’ accomplishments – a sentiment broadly and strongly shared across campus. Keep up the great work!!

SMCM History Student Receives Simpson Scholarship in Egyptology

April 5, 2019

Student on a camel in front of a pyramid in Giza, Egypt

Poppell at pyramid in Giza, Egypt

St. Mary’s College of Maryland (SMCM) student Brandon Poppell ’19 recently received the prestigious Simpson Scholarship in Egyptology. The Simpson Scholarships in Egyptology are available to students who wish to focus their studies on the history and culture of Ancient Egypt.

When asked about the scholarship and his current research Poppell stated “I am a Classics-trained student meaning I have taken ancient history classes at SMCM through the lens of the Ancient Greek and Roman worlds, and my main research interest is Ptolemaic Egypt, which was a Macedonian Dynasty”. In order to gain further background in Egyptology and to understand the way Ptolemaic Egypt functioned, Poppell aspired to study at the American University in Cario (AUC). At AUC, Poppell will pursue courses ranging from archaeology, to history, to art and architecture under Salima Ikram, one of the leading scholars in the field.

Poppell is currently awaiting responses from graduate schools but plans to continue his research on Ptolemaic Egypt for the rest of his academic career. In the meantime, during the 2019 summer he will be working on an archaeological site on Crete which is a Minoan site (1700-1430 BC), while also possibly working at a Greco-Roman site (4^th century BC- 4^thcentury AD circa) later in December. Poppell would like to thank Dr. Sarah Malena, Dr. Michael Taber, Dr. Linda Jones Hall, and Dr. Julia King for being extremely supportive in his academic endeavors while at SMCM. Poppell “would not be where I am without them”.

This article was written by St.Mary’s College of Maryland student and Office of Research and Sponsored Programs Fellow Mackenzie Brooks ’21.

A statue of Seraphis, a Greco-Egyptian deity (left) and clay depictions of amulets Poppell worked on for an experimental archaeology project.

St. Mary’s College Professor to Teach in Amsterdam via Prestigious Fulbright Grant

February 13, 2019

A St. Mary’s College of Maryland professor has received a Fulbright Scholar grant for research and teaching abroad.

Jennifer Cognard-Black, professor of English and current chair of the English department, has been selected for a Fulbright grant for the spring semester of the 2019-2020 academic year. This award is for a “Senior Professorship in American Culture.” She will be teaching a special topics seminar for master’s degree students at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) in Literary Food Studies, titled “Just Food: American Food Writing and Social Justice,” as well as taking over part of a core course on literary practice and holding a workshop for PhD students that instructs them on ways to integrate teaching with research. She also intends to conduct a research project in which she will ultimately produce an anthology titled “Recipes for Social Justice: Transatlantic Essays on Ethical Eating.”

Cognard-Black is familiar with the Fulbright grant. She joins SMCM faculty Robin Bates, Bruce Wilson, and Charles Musgrove as one of a select few SMCM professors to receive two Fulbright awards. The first took her to Slovenia in 2012, working with students that she still has ongoing relationships with today. “I am honored to have a chance once again to be an educator-ambassador on behalf of the United States and of our college,” Cognard-Black said. “This Fulbright award is an incredible opportunity to share American literature and pedagogy with students and colleagues in another country, but it’s also an opportunity for me to expand my own thinking on food justice issues and concerns in a global context.” Cognard-Black hopes to build on the work she began in Slovenia, by continuing to foster connections between St. Mary’s College and the global community. Over the course of the 2020 semester, she plans to find meaningful and lasting ways to bring the SMCM and UvA communities together.

“Yet publication will not be the sole means of sharing this work,” she explains. For instance, Cognard-Black plans to host a student panel on Food, Power, and Culture at the yearly conference hosted by PhD students at UvA, an event that draws graduate students from around the globe. She also hopes to give her students at UvA the chance to share their work in a broader sense, and to have them collaborate with students here in the U.S. “For one of the key reasons to analyze food and foodways is to enrich others’ understanding of worldwide food disparities, economies, and cultural identities,” Cognard-Black explains, “and sharing essays on ethical eating practices may help student participants both recognize and resist the barriers between ‘us’ and ‘them,’ thereby promoting culinary empathy across borders.”

St. Mary’s College of Maryland is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education through 2024-2025. St. Mary’s College, designated the Maryland state honors college in 1992, is ranked one of the best public liberal arts schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Approximately 1,600 students attend the college, nestled on the St. Mary’s River in Southern Maryland.

Written by St. Mary’s College student Zoe Smedley ’19

Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Barry Muchnick Presented on Innovative Environmental Studies Curriculum at Association of American Colleges & Universities Conference

January 29, 2019

Dr. Muchnick (left) with colleagues at the 2019 AAC&U conference

Barry Ross Muchnick, assistant professor of environmental studies, recently presented an invited talk at the annual conference of the Association of American Colleges & Universities in Atlanta, Georgia. His presentation highlighted the numerous and innovative ways civic learning is embedded within the environmental studies major, and derived in part from an AAC&U Mini Grant for Civic Learning in the Major by Design he received in 2018.

Part of an interdisciplinary panel that included faculty from communications studies and informatics departments, Muchnick’s talk featured student-driven, service-learning projects from recent years such as the Power Dialog, the Tiny House Project, and highlighted partnerships with the Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust to train students as Land Steward Monitors and with Historic St. Mary’s City to break ground on a new Heirloom Garden to grow period appropriate produce for the museum’s food-based living history demonstrations.

The conference audience included over 1,800 faculty, staff, and administrators from higher education institutions across the country. It was an ideal forum to foreground the entrepreneurial academic work conducted by the environmental studies program.