Artists & Scholars in Public Life at the University of Florida and Beyond
UF is proud to be a member-institution of Imagining America (IA), a national consortium committed to using the arts, humanities, and design to enact a more just and liberatory world. Faculty, staff, students, and community partners are invited to join the UF Imagining America Working Group and advance public scholarship through IA gatherings, collaborative projects, and resources.
Announcements:
- Welcome to the new IA@UF website. We’re glad you’re here! Join the UF Imagining America Working Group by signing up for the listserv: UFImaginingAmerica-L@lists.ufl.edu
- Share your project
Recent Projects
2018
In 2018, The Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere, with the support of the Robert and Margaret Rothman Endowment for the Humanities, offered an inaugural funding opportunity for reading groups in the humanities. Groups use this as an opportunity for scholarly exchange on a shared topic of interest related to the humanities. Their long-term goals may include exploring the possibilities of a shared research agenda, deepening interdisciplinary knowledge, learning from one another, organizing a symposium, and developing future grant proposals. This program allows participants from across the campus and beyond to explore complex issues at a moment when cross-disciplinary collaboration is crucial to address shifting domains of knowledge and a rapidly changing world.
2018
In 2018, The Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere, with the support of the Robert and Margaret Rothman Endowment for the Humanities, offered an inaugural funding opportunity for reading groups in the humanities. Groups use this as an opportunity for scholarly exchange on a shared topic of interest related to the humanities. Their long-term goals may include exploring the possibilities of a shared research agenda, deepening interdisciplinary knowledge, learning from one another, organizing a symposium, and developing future grant proposals. This program allows participants from across the campus and beyond to explore complex issues at a moment when cross-disciplinary collaboration is crucial to address shifting domains of knowledge and a rapidly changing world.
2018
Assembly for Action is committed to educating and enabling the next generation of leaders at the University of Florida to bridge the gap between student involvement and non - profit needs in Gainesville. This innovative program is the result of a collaborative effort with various student organizations, colleges, and institutions at the University of Florida and across Gainesville culminating in a four day conference. In addition to special lectures in leadership, social entrepreneurship, public speaking, and many other topics, Action Scholars will be paired with a local non - profit that best matches their preferences and work with that non - profit in an organized day of service. After learning about how non - profit function and the challenges they face, students will be tasked with synthesizing the information from the special lectures and experience to help write a proposal. The proposals will be considered by an independent panel of judges with the top students being asked to present. The winning group will receive a $2000 grant in seed money to be used in turning their community project into a reality. For more information, go to https://assemblyforaction.org/
2018
Assembly for Action is committed to educating and enabling the next generation of leaders at the University of Florida to bridge the gap between student involvement and non - profit needs in Gainesville. This innovative program is the result of a collaborative effort with various student organizations, colleges, and institutions at the University of Florida and across Gainesville culminating in a four day conference. In addition to special lectures in leadership, social entrepreneurship, public speaking, and many other topics, Action Scholars will be paired with a local non - profit that best matches their preferences and work with that non - profit in an organized day of service. After learning about how non - profit function and the challenges they face, students will be tasked with synthesizing the information from the special lectures and experience to help write a proposal. The proposals will be considered by an independent panel of judges with the top students being asked to present. The winning group will receive a $2000 grant in seed money to be used in turning their community project into a reality. For more information, go to https://assemblyforaction.org/
2018
The Scholars in Peru (IDH3931) study abroad course in Cusco, Peru focuses on community engagement and the preservation of cultural heritage. In partnership with the Archbishopric of Cusco and Peru's Ministry of Culture students help restore endangered adobe churches from the colonial era. The course also includes critical discussions of “voluntourism,” a weaving workshop, and on-site engagement with art and architecture. The course takes place in early May every two years, and is taught by Professors Regan Garner and Maya Stanfield-Mazzi.
2018
The Scholars in Peru (IDH3931) study abroad course in Cusco, Peru focuses on community engagement and the preservation of cultural heritage. In partnership with the Archbishopric of Cusco and Peru's Ministry of Culture students help restore endangered adobe churches from the colonial era. The course also includes critical discussions of “voluntourism,” a weaving workshop, and on-site engagement with art and architecture. The course takes place in early May every two years, and is taught by Professors Regan Garner and Maya Stanfield-Mazzi.
2018
SPOHP panel moderated by Paul Ortiz. Featuring UF Alumni and current students discussing the intersections of Black and Latinx Histories at UF from the 1960s to present.
Join us for a discussion on the histories of the Institute of Black Culture and the Institute of Hispanic-Latino Culture (aka “La Casita”), including their founding and their entwined legacies. Not a formal panel discussion, this is intended to be an open dialogue between these speakers and the UF community.
Panelists include Dr. David Horne (Cal State Northridge), one of the organizers of the Black Thursday protest that led to the founding of the IBC. Dr. Horne is accompanied by Dr. Maria Masque, former director of La Casita.
Also speaking are UF Students Daniel Clayton and Christopher Garcia.
Introduced by graduate research assistant Juliette Barbera, Juanita Duque, and moderated by Dr. Paul Ortiz
2018
SPOHP panel moderated by Paul Ortiz. Featuring UF Alumni and current students discussing the intersections of Black and Latinx Histories at UF from the 1960s to present.
Join us for a discussion on the histories of the Institute of Black Culture and the Institute of Hispanic-Latino Culture (aka “La Casita”), including their founding and their entwined legacies. Not a formal panel discussion, this is intended to be an open dialogue between these speakers and the UF community.
Panelists include Dr. David Horne (Cal State Northridge), one of the organizers of the Black Thursday protest that led to the founding of the IBC. Dr. Horne is accompanied by Dr. Maria Masque, former director of La Casita.
Also speaking are UF Students Daniel Clayton and Christopher Garcia.
Introduced by graduate research assistant Juliette Barbera, Juanita Duque, and moderated by Dr. Paul Ortiz
2018
Beginning in 2018, the Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere, with the support of the Robert and Margaret Rothman Endowment for the Humanities and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, has supported UF faculty participation in summer programs at the National Humanities Center (NHC) in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. These include: a one-month faculty residency at the NHC, and participation in virtual themed institutes that focus on practical teaching, research, and professionalization skills.
2018
Beginning in 2018, the Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere, with the support of the Robert and Margaret Rothman Endowment for the Humanities and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, has supported UF faculty participation in summer programs at the National Humanities Center (NHC) in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. These include: a one-month faculty residency at the NHC, and participation in virtual themed institutes that focus on practical teaching, research, and professionalization skills.
2017
Professor of Religion at UF, Dr. Gwendolyn Zoharah Simmons is a UF professor of religion who participated in Freedom Summer in Mississippi in 1964. A former leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in Laurel, Mississippi and Atlanta, Georgia, Simmons instituted a sexual harassment policy to protect the female volunteers of the project. Because of her reputation as an “Amazon,” who, “didn’t take any s***, especially off of men,” the Laurel Project was referred to as the “Amazon Project.” Dr. Simmons, a Sufi Muslim, draws on the compassion and inclusiveness of her faith in her work as a community organizer, scholar and writer. In 2016, at the invitation of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, she lectured in four European countries about the history and meaning of the African American freedom movement.
This vignette features clips from an interview with Dr. Simmons in which she details the beginning of the Laurel Project.
2017
Professor of Religion at UF, Dr. Gwendolyn Zoharah Simmons is a UF professor of religion who participated in Freedom Summer in Mississippi in 1964. A former leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in Laurel, Mississippi and Atlanta, Georgia, Simmons instituted a sexual harassment policy to protect the female volunteers of the project. Because of her reputation as an “Amazon,” who, “didn’t take any s***, especially off of men,” the Laurel Project was referred to as the “Amazon Project.” Dr. Simmons, a Sufi Muslim, draws on the compassion and inclusiveness of her faith in her work as a community organizer, scholar and writer. In 2016, at the invitation of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, she lectured in four European countries about the history and meaning of the African American freedom movement.
This vignette features clips from an interview with Dr. Simmons in which she details the beginning of the Laurel Project.