First-year Humanities Scholars attend seminars (HUM 120H and HUM 121H). The fall seminar is taught by program director Kate Drabinski and introduces students to UMBC, the humanities, and the larger Baltimore community through the completion of community engaged projects in Baltimore City. Spring seminars are co-taught by two UMBC faculty members from different departments. The seminar helps build a sense of community between the freshmen as they share ideas and discuss topics in an interactive and interdisciplinary environment.
Seminars taught in the Humanities seminar have included:
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- A Global Hip Hop History by Tanya Saunders (Language, Literacy, and Culture ) and Mariana Meriqui Rodrigues (Gender, Women’s, + Sexuality Studies)
- Food, People, and Place in the Americas by Tania Lizarazo (Modern Languages, Linguistics and Intercultural Communication) and Sarah Fouts (American Studies)
- Storytelling by Timothy Phin (Teaching Professor, Ancient Studies)
- Secret Life of Books by Dr. Craig Saper (Language, Literacy, and Culture Doctoral Program) and Dr. Lindsay DiCuirci (English)
- Threads by Dr. Tanya Olson (English) and Dr. Molly Jones-Lewis (Ancient Studies)
- Cultural Productions in Japan’s WWII Colonies by Dr. Julie Oakes (Director, Asian Studies Program) and Dr. Kyung-Eun Yoon (Modern Languages, Linguistics, and Intercultural Communication)
- Sites of Surveillance by Dr. Rebecca Adelman (Media and Communication Studies) and Dr. Kate Drabinski (Gender + Women Studies)
- Political Childhood and Children’s Citizenship in Western Culture by Dr. Joby Taylor (Director, Shriver Center) and Dr. Beverly Bickle (Language, Literacy and Culture)
- New Orleans Sounds by Dr. Kimberly R. Moffitt (American Studies) and Dr. Steve Bradley (Visual Arts)
- Mathematics and What it Means to Be Human by Dr. Michele Osherow (English) and Dr. Manil Suri (Mathematics)
As part of the program, first-year Humanities scholars participate in one off-campus excursion that is closely tied to a Humanities seminar topic. The sites are as diverse as the seminar topics and include such venues as the American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM) or the Corcoran Gallery in Washington DC.