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College of Arts and Humanities

Happy Holidays from ARHU!

Watch our holiday message from Dean Stephanie Shonekan.

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School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies

Signs of Accessibility in Performing Arts

New TDPS director is school’s first deaf leader.

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History

Deciphering History, Unearthing Hard Truths

Sophomore history major Lulu Long's internship with the Slavery, Law, and Power project focuses on uncovering stories that shape our understanding of history.

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What interests you?

learning about...

a career in...

Whatever your interests and aspirations, ARHU is committed to providing the knowledge, skills and opportunities all our students need to write their own stories and chart their own paths.

"In ARHU, you’re learning about how people interact with the world and each other. My goal is to build things that people are going to use. Just technology knowledge can only go so far. You have to understand how people are going to use them to be truly successful."

Ozzie Fallick '14, Software Engineer, Google
Linguistics

"Cross-cultural communication is one of the most important skills that I learned at ARHU, and I use it to engage and inform the community in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean about our events, exchanges and any other information that supports our key policy priorities in the region. ARHU gave me the tools to understand why in diplomacy, it’s as much about what you say as how you say it."

Krystle Norman '08, Foreign Service Officer, U.S. Department of State
Spanish and Portuguese

"I had always loved art, but I never knew you could make a career out of it until I studied abroad in Rome. There, I took a full course load of art courses and learned all about the factors of being an art professional. It was life-changing. Now I feel lucky that I’m doing something that I’m so passionate about."

Laura Sheridan Raiffe '09, Regional Account Manager, Christie's Fine Arts
Art History and Archaeology

"One of the most important things I got out of my ARHU experience is my ability to parse arguments, think critically and see multiple sides of an issue. Being in law school, it’s important to do that—it’s a skill I use every day. Not a class goes by, not a case gets read that this skill doesn’t come into play."

AJ Clayborne '13, Student, Harvard Law School
English

GRAND CHALLENGES

DEMAND FEARLESS IDEAS

The research and creative works of our faculty, students and alumni are setting the agenda for transformative dialogue about the value of the arts and the humanities in the world today.

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Happening at ARHU

In her latest episode of Cover Story, ARHU Dean Stephanie Shonekan talks with two very special guests to discuss “Bein' Green,” a song originally sung by the beloved Kermit the Frog in 1970. Legend has it that composer and songwriter Joe Raposo practically wrote the song overnight during the first season of Sesame Street, while Jim Henson, who created The Muppets and first brought Kermit the Frog to life, recorded it with Raposo in the early morning. Joe Raposo’s son — Nick Raposo — and Jim Henson’s daughter — Cheryl Henson — both join Shonekan on this episode to discuss their connection to the song and confirm the legend — an overnight song became an American classic about loving who you are. Listen now! Link in bio. Images: 1) Cover Story with Stephanie Shonekan logo 2) Cheryl Henson 3) Stephanie Shonekan 4) Nick Raposo @kermitthefrog @univofmaryland @terpsmusic @umdartsforall
From all of us at the College of Arts and Humanities, Happy Holidays and a Joyous New Year! In this holiday video message, narrated by Dean Stephanie Shonekan (@stephshonekan)we updated the poem “Ode” by Arthur O’Shaughnessy, originally published in 1873, to speak to our college’s mission and vision. Like the original poem suggests, we artists, humanists and creators are the movers and shakers working to help us all better understand the world we live in and envision, inspire and create change for a better future.  #umd #umdartsforall #theclarice #artsandhumanities #terps
We are so proud of our incredible faculty, students, alums and staff who helped make 2024 one for the books! From the launch of the Frederick Douglass Center with legendary poet and activist Nikki Giovanni to Vote (Fearlessly!)—a nonpartisan pop-up providing essential voting resources for Terps—to hosting the world’s most famous amphibian, Kermit the Frog, we showcased how the arts and humanities offer critical insights and foster dialogue and understanding. Check out our gallery of 2024 photo highlights, and tell us: what was a highlight for you this year? 1. Poet Nikki Giovanni visited UMD in April 2024 and spoke about her life and career at the Frederick Douglass Center's launch. 📷 Thai Nguyen 2. WGSS Professor Neda Atanasoski was named associate director of education for the new Artificial Intelligence Interdisciplinary Institute at Maryland (AIM). 📷 John T. Consoli 3. In September, Kermit the Frog was Dean Stephanie Shonekan's invited guest for the ARHU Dean’s Lecture Series! 📷 Taneen Momeni 4. Kenneth Morris, a descendant of Frederick Douglass, shared leadership insights at the Douglass Center's Lessons in Leadership series and posed with his ancestor's statue. 📷 Stephanie S. Cordle 5. UMD seniors with Native American heritage gathered for the university’s first blanket ceremony, led by WGSS Assistant Professor and Director of the Indigenous Futures Lab Shelbi Nahwilet Meissner. 📷 Stephanie S. Cordle 6. Maryland's First Lady Dawn Moore joined UMD deans for a discussion on arts, empowerment and mental health. 📷 Stephanie S. Cordle 7. Artist Lisa Marie Thalhammer led a community painted "Love for All" mural on Maryland Day, presented by Arts for All. 📷 David Andrews 8. Assistant Professor KenYatta Rogers directed TDPS students in "Metamorphoses" by Mary Zimmerman. 📷 Taneen Momeni 9. Mavis Staples performed at The Clarice in September. 📷 Taneen Momeni 10. Supported by Arts for All, VOTE (Fearlessly)!, a mobile pop-up, helped Terps get the info needed for informed voting. 📷 Taneen Momeni @umdartsforall @wgssumd @bsosumd @univofmaryland @stephshonekan @umd.indigenous.futures.lab @umd_tdps @theclariceumd @lisamariestudio

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