Humanities Scholars Program

We could keep going … Scroll ➡️ for just some of the many reasons to consider attending @cornellhsp ’s Spring Research Conference Friday, May 1 at the A.D. White House with programming from 9:30-5:00 PM Check out the full program at the link in our bio Stop by one panel, or stay for the day; free & open to the public including breakfast, lunch, and a closing reception See you tomorrow!

Spring Research Conference Preview: Humanities scholars tackle research across disciplines Click the link in @cornellhsp ’s bio to read the preview of this year’s conference, featuring the research of HSP students Alianna Wray, Anya Shukla and Jeffrey Ho, all class of 2026. The full conference schedule can also be found in our bio. From Wray’s work on anti-Black misogyny within U.S. institutions and the law, to Shukla’s presentation, entitled “Engineering Utopia: Startups, Women’s Health, and the Promise of Artificial Intelligence”, to Ho’s research on community reactions to public health crises, which combines his long-standing focus on biology with his interests in history, creative writing, public health and human development, the presentations at this year’s annual Humanities Scholars Program Spring Research Conference will span the disciplines and bring together seniors from across the university to share their research in the humanities. “The Spring Conference is my favorite event of the year in the HSP,” said Verity Platt, professor of classics and HSP director. “It is immensely rewarding to see our scholars’ hard work come to fruition, both in the intellectual depth of each student’s individual project, and in the many confluences of ideas and approaches that emerge through their shared commitment to understanding how diverse stories, practices, and questions have shaped human culture and society.” 📸: HSP seniors Alianna Wray, Anya Shukla and Jeffrey Ho, pictured left to right. Photo courtesy of Kathy Hovis, Communications @cornellcas .

Announcing the Humanities Scholars Program Spring Research Conference Friday, May 1 Programming from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM at the A.D. White House Over 30 presenters 11 panels on topics spanning the humanities Seniors from @cornellcas @cornellilr @cornellaap @cornelluniversitycals Visit the link in our bio for the full program (subject to change) and to find out more!

Humanities Scholars ➡️ Humanities Advocates Earlier this month a group of four Humanities Scholars Program students, along with two graduate students sponsored by the Society for the Humanities (@cornellhumctr ), travelled to Washington D.C. to participate in the National Humanities’ Alliance Annual Meeting and Advocacy day (@humanitiesall ) Check the link in bio to read the full story. The opportunity allowed students to engage on the future of the Humanities with academics from across the U.S., and brought them into the offices of representatives from New York and their home states to advocate on behalf of funding for the National Endowment for the Humanities (@nehgov ), and speak to the importance of continued support for the humanities in education. Photo 1: HSP students, along with graduate students Anna Whittemore, Anthropology, and Sully Howard, Anthropology, and Prof. Durba Ghosh, Taylor Family Director of the Society for the Humanities, in front of the U.S. Capitol Photo 2: HSP students Elly Conrad, Basil Bob, Hannia Arevalo and Hiba Loukssi, all class of 2027, with Thomas Johnson, ‘19, Legislative Assistant to NY-19 Representative Josh Riley (@joshrileyue ) inside the Cannon House Office Building. Special thanks to the representatives’ offices who took the time to meet with our students from Cornell University: @joshrileyue @senschumer @monicaforcongress @repmiketurner @sensusancollins @captmarkkelly

Attention seniors in the humanities! Do you have a senior thesis or capstone project that you’d like to share with the Cornell community? Sign up to present at the annual Humanities Scholars Program Spring Research Conference! Friday, May 1, 2026 9:30-4 PM | Breakfast, lunch & refreshments served throughout | Reception to follow A.D. White House, first floor Fill out the interest form by Friday, April 10. You will be notified if we have space for you to present by Thursday, April 16. HSP Seniors: please sign up to present! Non-HSP seniors in any humanities department are invited to sign up and indicate their interest in presenting; HSP will do its best to accommodate as many interested seniors as possible, but please note that signing up does not guarantee a presentation slot, and priority will be given to seniors in HSP. For more information on the conference, visit the link in bio, or: events.cornell.edu/event/hsp-spring-conference

Humanities Scholars Program Director Verity Platt, professor of classics and history of art, announces new book, “Epistemic Impressions: Making and Mediating Classical Art and Text.” Released in February 2026 as a part of Oxford University Press’ “Classics in Theory” series, the book “explores how Greek authors ... formulated relationships between texts and objects. [...] it focuses on the language of the impression (typos)” (Classics Department, Verity Platt Faculty Profile). Professor Platt sat down with @cornellcas to speak about the book and its significance. A&S: How did the raised stamp of a seal shape Greek thinking? Platt: The Greek word for a stamp or impression is typos, which is etymologically related to our word “type.” In Greek philosophy, the making of typoi is often used as a metaphor for the imprinting of sense-impressions upon the mind (or soul) and thus offers a way of thinking about the acquisition of knowledge, not through the contemplation of abstract ideas (such as Plato’s Forms), but through embodied interaction with the material world itself. Read “Making an impression: A new approach to classical concepts of the image” at the link in our bio.

Thank you to everyone who attended our Winter Open House this week. What a great turn out from students in @cornellcas @cornelluniversitycals @cornellaap and @cornellilr . Did you know that @cornellhsp welcomes applicants from across the university, so long as you are a sophomore intending to major or minor in the humanities? Click the link in our bio to check out our application - February Break is a great time to apply! Questions always welcome: hum-scholars-pgm@cornell @edu

Why join the Humanities Scholars Program? Some might say one reason is for the extra-academic and career development opportunities, like today’s Careers in Publishing Workshop! Special thanks to Bethany Wasik, Assistant Editorial Director @cornelluniversitypress , and Ramsey Kanaan, @pmpress co-founder, for joining @cornellhsp students for a conversation spanning their personal journeys in publishing, the future of print media, and the relationship between print and social movements. HSP students are always welcome to reach out with ideas and requests for workshops - let us know what you want to see more of!

Thinking of majoring or minoring in the humanities? Want to learn more about the Humanities Scholars Program? Stop by our Winter Open House! Monday, Feb. 9, 2026 5:00-6:00 PM A.D. White House, RM 110 Learn about the program from HSP faculty and staff, enjoy snacks and a hot cocoa bar, and craft a personalized bookmark. Open to CU freshmen and sophomores from any college; students who apply to the Humanities Scholars Program must intend to or have declared a major or minor in the humanities. Visit the link in our bio for all things HSP, including our application for sophomores open now through March 1!

Applications Open! The Humanities Scholars Program invites applications from Sophomores (or undergraduate students with two years of study left to complete) who plan to major or minor in a humanities field. Students do not need to be in Arts & Sciences; we welcome students with humanities minors from all colleges. The Humanities Scholars Program (HSP) is a two-year program housed in the Society for the Humanities that provides a supportive environment for students who are majoring or minoring in a humanities field. HSP offers advising and mentoring from HSP faculty and Postdoctoral Associates, funding for research and internships, and cohort-building activities. Program requirements include three core courses, two electives, and one senior research project. Applications Due: Sun., March 1, 2026. Learn more and apply at the link in our bio.

Virtual info session tomorrow, 1/22/26, from 4:30 - 5:30pm (EST) with faculty director Verity Platt Registration required (link in bio). ** application and info session open only to Cornell PhD candidates and recent Cornell PhDs The Humanities Scholars Program, an undergraduate research initiative in Cornell University’s College of Arts & Sciences, invites applications from Cornell PhD candidates and recent Cornell PhDs for one-year Postdoctoral Associate positions beginning August 1, 2026. Each position offers a salary of $67,000/year and a $2,000 research fund for the year. Two Postdoctoral Associates will be appointed. Applications will be accepted on the AJO platform through February 3, 2026. Visit the link in bio to learn more.

Call for Applications! Open to Cornell PhD candidates and recent Cornell PhDs only. Applications due: Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026 The Humanities Scholars Program, an undergraduate research initiative in Cornell University’s College of Arts & Sciences, invites applications from Cornell PhD candidates and recent Cornell PhDs for one-year Postdoctoral Associate positions beginning August 1, 2026. Each position offers a salary of $67,000/year and a $2,000 research fund for the year. Two Postdoctoral Associates will be appointed. A virtual info session will be held on Thurs., Jan. 22. To register for the info session, or to apply, click the link in our bio!