The Humanities Scholars Program prompts students to think about transnational experiences and the cosmopolitan life of cities in the 20th and 21st centuries. Through the lenses of history, religion, and art history, students explore the various cultural encounters that have shaped and continue shaping our increasingly connected and diversified world.
Classes proposed for 2026-27
WLIT 1022 – Tales from the Global City (Fall)
What conventional boundaries must we transgress in order to form authentic communities? How can we live together as diverse groups of strangers? In the late-20th and early 21st centuries, world cities are crucibles of diversity and mobility, yet globalization and privatization lead to individuals’ isolation and alienation. In this course, we will examine the individual’s search for connectedness, purpose, and beauty in the international metropolises of New York, Shanghai, Buenos Aires, and Mexico City through literary fiction and nonfiction, framed by the lenses of urban theory and architecture. Throughout the course, we will consider the extent to which diverse bodies (marked by gender, race and ethnicity, sexuality) are free (or not) to circulate in urban space, and how.
Taught by Professor Ignacio Lopez Vicuna
History 1020 – Visualizing India (Fall)
In this course we will explore the urban history of India through its nineteenth and twentieth century visual and material culture, using images, advertisements and the histories of things to uncover different perspectives on the past than what is available from other sources. Visual and material culture provided essential tools by which Britain made sense of their colony, Indians integrated global trends and built national identities. We explore how various visual and material forms have generated meanings in different historical contexts, and also how those materials are used for particular social, cultural or political ends.
We begin with a crash course in Indian history generally and Bombay history more particularly in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, offering a quick overview of the development of British colonial rule, the reorientation of local economies towards imperial and global markets, and the various caste, religious, social and anti-colonial movements that roiled this era. With this as a rough starting point, we will then turn to the second part, where we explore key changes in the city of Bombay in this era through iconic visual and material sources. Finally, in the third section of the course, we will take the breadth of knowledge and methodologies learned over the course of the semester to offer our own visual interpretations of the past. Here we will be focusing specifically on advertisements as a way to explore daily life and everyday politics in different moments of time. Working with Bombay’s the Times of India (which is fully archived online, available through the UVM library) from the 1900s through the mid-1940s, students use advertisements to explore markets, desires, and political choices in late colonial urban India.
Taught by Abigail Mcgowan, Professor of History
Art History 1020 – Arts of Conflict/Revolutions (Spring)
This course delves into art created during periods of social and political upheaval and revolution. Starting with the Haitian Revolution in the 1800s, it spans various global contemporary events. The focus is broad, encompassing graffiti, large paintings, physical acts of protest, re-enactments, and photographs. The course aims to familiarize students with worldwide expressions of rebellion and dissent, encouraging critical analysis of historical events' enduring impact and exploring how people voice their concerns during times of socio-political turbulence. We will explore the historical and ongoing responses of global cultures to political conflict, upheaval, and revolution. Students will actively engage with diverse resources, including primary source documents, documentaries, interviews, and other materials, to investigate how art serves as a form of political expression. The examination will extend to topics such as censorship, iconoclasm, and the role of art as an agent of social and political change. Throughout the semester, we will assess and enhance our understanding of the diverse functions and value of art within Western visual culture.
Taught by Sarah Richter, Professor of Art History
Students:
“Participating in the Humanities LASP has provided me with an expertly curated body of knowledge and a strong foundation to build the rest of my college experience upon. The content of the program was rich, the professors were compelling and helpful, and it was rewarding to participate in a shared discourse with peers who were passionate about the material.”
- Liana L., Religion and Film & Television Studies Double Major
“LASP provided me with the perfect landing pad for my first year at UVM. By providing special dorm housing with other LASP students, dedicated faculty, and classes just for LASP students, the program provided a unique blend of structure, opportunity, and fun. It introduced me to new subjects I would not have otherwise explored and friends I still have three years later. The students I met in the humanities program were from many different majors, but aligned around a common interest in human society and culture, giving me a rich glimpse into different parts of UVM. LASP also helped me to develop my research skills, which has been useful as I am now completing my undergraduate honors thesis.”
- Laurel K., Psychological Science Major, Anthropology Minor
Meet the Faculty
