Humanities Summer Series

A photo of students from a 19th-century American literature class, explore a resource in Dartmouth's Rauner Special Collections Library

Humanities Summer Series

Do you often find yourself thinking about… thinking? Join us every Tuesday in August for a series of programs and presentations designed for prospective students interested in studying the humanities as a substantive part of their college experience. These events are hosted by the Dartmouth College Office of Admissions in partnership with our faculty in the Humanities. 

Register for one or more of the four sessions below. Each session features different Dartmouth faculty members and current students who will discuss their ongoing work in the Humanities. Check back periodically for updated session descriptions as speakers and content are finalized.

  • Tuesday, August 3 at 7:00 p.m. ET - Humanities Summer Series #1
    With Paul Christesen, the William R. Kenan Professor of Ancient Greek History. The Humanities are a vibrant and vital part of intellectual life at Dartmouth. In this presentation, we will explore some basic questions: What are the Humanities? What kinds of questions do the Humanities seek to answer? Why do those questions matter? How do we study the Humanities here at Dartmouth? What do I do with a Humanities degree? As we will see, the Humanities are a powerful means of coming to understand both the social worlds in which we are immersed and our place as individuals in those social worlds. The Humanities also invite us to contemplate fundamental questions about the kind of society in which we wish to live and the kinds of lives we as individuals would like to lead. And they offer us opportunities to express how we see the world and to give voice to our personal commitments. The Humanities, in short, are well named since they explore what it means to be human, in the past, present, and future.
     

  • Tuesday, August 10 at 7:00 p.m. ET - Humanities Summer Series #2
    Seeking a Better Country: Longing and Belonging in St. Augustine's City of God. This lecture featuring Devin Singh, Associate Professor of Religion, introduces participants to central themes in one of the most influential and foundational texts of Western civilization. 
     

  • Tuesday, August 17 at 7:00 p.m. ET - Humanities Summer Series #3
    Art on the Move in the Renaissance World. This lecture, with Elizabeth Kassler–Taub (Assistant Professor of Art History) explores how global thinking can transform our understanding of one of the most canonical periods in art history: the Renaissance. How does a transcultural and transnational lens challenge our basic assumptions about art and its value, both then and now?

  • Tuesday, August 24 at 7:00 p.m. ET - Humanities Summer Series #4
    A faculty-moderated student panel on the outcome, experiences, and opportunities associated with studying the humanities at Dartmouth.