Discussions in the humanities – from philosophy and religion, to history and politics – guide our most crucial decisions, on a global scale and in very personal ways. They determine our understanding of ourselves and others, and how our communities build relationships and make progress. They shape our worlds.

But over recent decades, false narratives have accumulated around the humanities. Many, for example, perceive the study of humanities as a side item, an afterthought, or a luxury in undergraduate education.

However, studies of career readiness tell a different story. The National Association of Colleges and Employers has found that critical reasoning, collaboration, and communication – skills developed in humanities classrooms – are the skills that are the most sought after by employers.

With that knowledge, UNC Greensboro is on the road to changing how the humanities are perceived, in a big way. The University is re-envisioning the role of humanities in undergraduate education and, in the process, doubling down on its commitment to student outcomes.

Currently at UNCG, undergraduate research experiences are being integrated into a multitude of humanities courses and projects, along with career preparation and professional development components. The University has received a $200,000 grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to support those activities.

Opportunities for research with a faculty mentor strongly correlate to undergraduate academic achievement and positive post-graduate outcomes, such as advancing to graduate school or entering a satisfying career, says Dr. Joanne Murphy, associate professor of classical studies and principal investigator for the Mellon-funded Transforming the Humanities initiative.

“There are so many impacts of undergraduate research,” she says, “but what I love the most is the confidence. Students become an authority on a thing, and they are more confident when they speak to you, and more articulate in the way they speak. They also have the confidence to know where they can find answers – they can pull arguments together and present their material.”

Since 2009, Murphy has guided UNCG students through six-week professional internships at an archaeological field school on the Greek island of Kea. She also scaffolds research skill development into her classes on the ancient world at UNCG.

She finds that students who have opportunities to engage in research develop the confidence not only to share what they know but also to ask questions about what they don’t know – and to seek knowledge on their own.

“That’s what employers want,” she says. “People who are self-motivated and look for their own answers.”

Senior classical archaeology major Michael Bell has traveled to Greece three times to conduct research. Using data collected by the Kea Archaeological Research Survey, Bell is analyzing the use of apicultural goods, like honey and beeswax, and metallurgical material on the Cycladic island of Kea – the earliest known site for metal production in the Aegean. He’s exploring prestige goods production and how they relate to social organization and economic priorities. 

Bell has presented his work at the Southern Conference Undergraduate Research Forum, as well as at UNCG’s Thomas Undergraduate Research and Creativity Expo.

“The experience I gained in field work, research methods, experimental design, data collection and analysis, and presenting results has been instrumental in preparing me for my future academic endeavors – and in helping me to build confidence in my personal life,” says Bell.

“The opportunities undergraduate research has afforded me have allowed me to develop skills that go far outside the bounds of standard coursework.”

This post is part of a larger story that originally appeared in UNCG Research Magazine. To read more and to view additional images, visit the magazine website.

Story by Susan Kirby-Smith, University Communications at UNCG

Please visit https://newsandfeatures.uncg.edu/new-vision-for-humanities/ for the origninal article.

Through more than 7,000 miles of travel together, Sophie Partington ’21 and Laura DeMassa ’21 have gone from friends in French class to roommates in Italy and research partners in France.

Partington, a sociology and French double major, and DeMassa, a government and English double major, are European studies minors who spent last summer exploring the evolution and impact of national immigration policy in France. Their in-depth research – conducted in French and including field interviews at NGOs serving the immigrant population – assessed whether obligatory French language training is beneficial to migrants.

This undergraduate research collaboration was a first for the Institute for European Studies (IES), part of the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies.

The IES funded both students as fellows to work on an ambitious joint research project. The pair received a total of $8,000 in funding; Partington received IES’s Susan Tarrow Summer Research Fellowship, DeMassa the Frederic Conger Wood Fellowship.

“I think the reasoning behind wanting to work jointly embodies what research ideally looks like,” DeMassa said. “It’s a conversation.”

Inspired by a European history class in her freshman year, Partington found herself searching for more classes on Europe. DeMassa wound up taking classes on Europe, as well, and they took part in the Cornell Summer Program in Turin, a course in Italy for students interested in European politics and policy.

“After the Cornell in Turin program our freshman summer, my interest in European studies really solidified,” DeMassa said.

When their paths crossed again in a French class during their sophomore year, Partington and DeMassa would often spend time discussing class material and their own interests.

“It was during those conversations that we realized how much we have in common,” Partington said. “That’s when the idea for a research collaboration was born.”

In search of common ground between Partington’s interest in sociology and DeMassa’s interest in law and policy, they landed on a topic that reflects their shared interest in French language and personal experiences as language learners: the role of obligatory language training in French integration policy.

Their research concluded that while France’s policy aims to bolster migrants and help them to assimilate, visible inequalities arise through the policy’s practical implementation – as immigrants’ language-learning results suggest. They presented their work at an IES student research symposium in November.

“This is the first time that IES hosted a symposium where undergraduate and graduate recipients of the institute’s grants showcased their research,” said Maria Goula, director of IES and associate professor of landscape architecture. “Explicitly asked to reflect on their process and findings, their presentations were extraordinary.”

DeMassa and Partington are currently writing a paper for future publication.

“IES has provided a space for my questions and helped me work toward finding answers,” DeMassa said. “It’s a place where I’ve been able to put what we’re learning into practice in a way that is both valuable and relevant.”

The Einaudi Center’s undergraduate minors – including international relations, East Asian studies, Southeast Asian studies and the new migration studies – help students understand and engage with international places and people.

In addition to the fellowships awarded to DeMassa and Partington, IES offers a range of undergraduate funding opportunities to promote and support research in Europe. Grants and fellowships also include graduate level funding opportunities, including the Luigi Einaudi Fellowship for students in modern European government, history, economics and related social science fields.

By: Priya Pradhan 

Please visit https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2019/12/einaudi-minor-sets-students-in​ternational-research-path to view the original article.