Seminars
Institute Fellows present papers based on their Institute projects in weekly seminars that feature spirited discussion from the perspectives of many disciplines across the humanities. The Institute does not focus fellowships around a single theme, but a common discourse around shared issues, interests, epistemologies, and methodologies emerges in the course of the year. The Director and Senior Fellows provide leadership and continuity to highlight core concerns, problematics, and potentialities of an interdisciplinary discourse in the humanities.
Monday seminars are biweekly, from 3:00-5:00pm, with refreshments starting at 3:00 and the presentation at 3:30, followed by discussion. Intensive discussion of the issues raised by the Monday seminar continues on the following Tuesday lunch seminar, 12-1:15pm. UW-Resident Fellows and Solmsen Postdoctoral Fellows are expected to offer a Monday seminar with continuing discussion at the following Tuesday lunch seminar. Other fellows have the option of presenting a Monday-Tuesday seminar, schedule permitting.
Tuesday lunch seminars are every week from 12:00-1:15pm. Lunches are catered twice a year. Mellon/ACLS Postdoctoral Residency Fellows and UW-Madison Dissertation Fellows are expected to offer a Tuesday lunch seminar. UW-System Sabbatical Fellows, MATC Sabbatical Fellows, and Honorary Fellows have the option of presenting their work at a Tuesday lunch seminar, schedule permitting.
Senior Fellows are expected to offer seminars at least twice during their term. They have the option of presenting their work more frequently, schedule permitting.
All Institute Fellows are expected to contribute to the intellectual, interdisciplinary dialogue fostered by the seminars by attending the biweekly Monday and weekly Tuesday seminars whenever possible.
The Institute sponsors occasional panel discussions and informal seminars in conjunction with other humanities events on campus. Topics might include general issues of wide interest across the humanities. Informal and issue-oriented discussions with guest speakers brought by other humanities centers on campus also take place at the Institute, such as the Humanities without Boundaries lecture with the Center for the Humanities.
Seminars take place at the Institute, Bradley Memorial, 1225 Linden Drive (across from Van Hise). Institute seminars are open to interested faculty, staff, and students at UW-Madison. Notice of specific seminars is sent weekly to relevant departments, programs, and interested individuals, with encouragement to attend and participate.
See Calendar for schedule of seminars.