By Dr. Sharon Ryan
The humanities community at West Virginia University is united in a shared mission to explore, understand, and address the most pressing questions and challenges we face as humans.
Over the past year, members of our community have engaged in research on sense of place, identity, hope, artificial intelligence, constructive dialogue, what care is and could be, the value of public-facing research and writing, and so much more.
Moreover, we have gathered to bolster our sense of community, nurture feelings of belonging, and advance our scholarship for the public good.
“I am so grateful for the opportunity for intellectual stimulation that the Humanities Center’s well-designed programming has afforded our WVU community,” said Assistant Professor and Assistant Director of the WVU Advance Center, Dr. Amena Anderson. “The exchange of rich and provocative ideas is what “university” is all about!”
Through generous philanthropic support, the WVU Humanities Center has helped launch many faculty research projects that would otherwise remain out of reach. Our grants program has supported the publication of books and articles, the development of a documentary film focused on the people and culture of the New River Gorge region of West Virginia, travel to archives around the world, the creation of a sculpture designed to provoke reflection on impermanence and American identity, a visual storytelling workshop on care, and many other interesting projects.
That support has also empowered humanities scholars at WVU with tools to reach new heights and new audiences.
Equipping humanities scholars to reach press and public
At a time when mainstream media offers limited space for thoughtful engagement with consequential and important issues, the Humanities Center provides scholars with platforms and support to share their work with the public.
Mainstream media can be frustrating for humanists who spend a good chunk of their lives thinking about, writing about, reading about, and talking about the deepest questions of human experience.
Not only are some of the stories of everyday life emotionally overwhelming, but because many of the stories in mainstream outlets and social media are written to grab attention and interaction, they often fail to adequately address critical facts, insights, angles, and perspectives of experts working in the humanities and other academic disciplines.
To address this frustration, the Humanities Center welcomed Dr. David Perry, historian and journalist from the University of Minnesota, to WVU to share his thoughts about why going public with research matters now, more than ever, and how to get started.
WVU faculty and graduate students participating in Dr. David Perry’s workshop.
During his October 14 visit, Perry led an intense, 4-hour workshop for faculty and graduate students interested in using their academic expertise to write for mass media.
Perry, who has published 2 books and over 600 essays in the popular press on topics ranging from medieval history to disability, and from abortion to parenting, suicidal ideation, and more, carefully guided participants in crafting effective media pitches and an op-ed. Before the workshop was over, several participants sent pitches to editors!
In the afternoon, Perry engaged the campus and local community in a public lecture about the social value of academic scholarship and encouraged humanities experts to share what we know to educate and inspire the public.
A historian could be ideally situated to provide facts and insights on worldwide discussions about America on its 250th anniversary or the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Law faculty understand the United States Constitution, and they can navigate debates about how to interpret it. Virologists have much to offer in enhancing public understanding about vaccines. Philosophers, psychologists, and neuroscientists have expertise that could enlighten and sharpen public discourse about addiction, free will, responsibility, and compassion.
All researchers have the expertise to explain crucial differences between merely stating opinions in an exercise of free speech and engaging in constructive dialogue on controversial topics. Perry emphasized how communication skills developed through years of study and practice in the humanities can be easily tailored for thoughtful engagement with public audiences.
Dr. David Perry speaking at the workshop.
As Perry points out, academic experts are regularly adapting work to new audiences and new genres as teachers, grant writers, and authors.
Academic scholarship matters and can be used for the public good. Beyond being intrinsically fascinating to the expert, what they investigate and what they know has valuable implications for shaping public discourse, public policy, education, fact checking, and truth telling.
And yet, many scholars publish exclusively for engagement with academic peers. Certainly, publishing for peers is valuable for the pursuit of knowledge and the development of cutting-edge research and discovery. But when scholars write exclusively for academic peers, their reach remains limited and does little to counteract the constraints of mass media or meet the need for more rigorous, complete information for broader audiences.
As Perry argued, academic expertise should inform critical decisions at all levels of society. Perry urged participants to reach beyond familiar professional circles and also impact public discourse.
More programming in store
More programming is in progress for the entire 2025-26 academic year, including a new series, “Tell Me More.” This year, the series focuses on the theme of hope.
WVU Professor of Philosophy and Department Chair Dr. David Cerbone, and Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Humanities Center Dr. Sharon Ryan (myself), kicked off the series in October with a discussion on “Hope, Hopelessness, and the Meaning of Life,” where they drew on the thoughts of some very famous philosophers as well as shared their own ideas and welcomed ideas from the audience.
More “Tell Me More” sessions are happening throughout the spring semester.
With support from the Pi Lambda Phi Jewish Studies Lectureship endowment, the Humanities Center also hosted Columbia University Professor of Jewish Literature and American Studies Jeremy A. Dauber, in November. Dr. Dauber, who specializes in Jewish and Yiddish humor and literature, presented “Jewish Comedy: A History in 5 Jokes” at the Art Museum of WVU thanks to the generous patronage of Judith Gold Stitzel. It was refreshing to gather, learn, and laugh.
With support from the Department of English and the Department of Geology and Geography, we will host Dr. Dustin Edwards from San Deigo State on April 9. Edwards will discuss the impacts of AI data centers and other extractive technologies.
Collectively, these efforts embody what it means to advance scholarship for the public good — sharing knowledge, creativity, and insight in ways that serve and engage the broader community.