Arts & Humanities

Scholar Spotlight: Ehsan Lor Afshar

“I study the things people care about most, and how those things shape our lives, choices, and feelings.” Ehsan Lor AfsharAssistant Teaching ProfessorDepartment of Anthropology My work explores how changes in what we value—especially when something important loses its worth—can make people feel out of place or disconnected from their home and community. My research…
Humanities Grant Funds UT Research on Medieval Poet

Associate Professor Ryan Perry is researching one of the most prolific English poets and enabling UT graduate students to train as medieval scholars. Associate Professor R. D. (Ryan) Perry has received a three-year grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) for research to create a new scholarly edition about one of the most…
Scholar Spotlight: Marcus Harvey

“I explore the world of traditional African ideas and consider their relevance for how African Americans make sense of their religious history and experience in the United States.” Marcus HarveyAssistant professorDepartment of Religious Studies With a focus on the ancestral religions of the Akan and Yorùbá peoples of southern Ghana and southwestern Nigeria, I examine…
Undergraduate Research Award Funds Study on Cyprus

Over the summer break UT student Gabby Puckett helped to excavate a prehistoric settlement in the Mediterranean and researched techniques to improve zooarchaeology. Gabby Puckett has been interested in history and science since childhood and knew she wanted to study some type of anthropology in college. At the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, she found her…
Religious Studies Professor Travels to North Africa

Assistant Professor Manuela Ceballos will bring a new perspective when she returns to the classroom for the fall semester at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. With a fellowship from the Center for Arabic Studies Abroad (CASA), she spent the summer in Morocco as a student and researcher. Ceballos, who often teaches Introduction to the Study…
Fellowship Taking Professor to Japan for Research

Assistant Professor Gosia Citko-DuPlantis will take a leave from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in early 2026 to delve further into her research on Japanese culture. The Japan Foundation has awarded Citko-DuPlantis, who teaches in the UT Department of World Languages and Cultures, a Japanese Studies Fellowship, one of the most competitive and prestigious fellowships in the…
Study Abroad Delivers Language, Culture, and Perspective

Vols immerse in Italian culture, language, and music in interdisciplinary faculty-led study abroad courses. UT’s faculty-led Bologna, Italy, study abroad program is a collaboration between the Department of World Languages and Cultures in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Natalie L. Haslam College School of Music. Combined summer coursework in Italian language, culture,…
Alumni Awarded for Business Success

Arts and Sciences alumni take high ground on the Rocky Top Business Awards. The Rocky Top Business Awards, presented by the University of Tennessee and PYA Accountants and Advisors, celebrate the fastest-growing businesses owned or led by UT alumni. This year, alumni of the College of Arts and Sciences lead 16 of the 64 companies…
History Class Sharing Tennessee River Heritage

Students at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, have been researching historic sites along the Tennessee River as part of a long-term project to educate people about the area’s natural and cultural heritage. The capstone project for students taking a public history course during the spring 2025 semester was part of a partnership with the Tennessee…
Sculptor Brown Honored with Cox Professorship

Sculpture Professor Jason Brown has been named a James R. Cox Professor by the Provost of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The three-year award recognizes faculty members for excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service. “The University of Tennessee is honored to have scholars of your caliber among our faculty, and we look forward to the…