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College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

Welcome to CLASS

The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) is the heart of the University, dedicated to spurring intellectual curiosity, creativity, and transformative education. Encompassing humanities, social sciences, and health sciences, CLASS is truly a mosaic of disciplines that broaden perspectives, inspire potential, and advance possibilities yet unimagined.

News

  • Curtis Mooney

    Lifelong Learner Among Fall 2019 Graduating Class

    The definition of a lifelong learner is someone who actively seeks opportunities to grow and believes it’s never too late to start something. That sums up Curtis Mooney. And at 72, Mooney will graduate from the UH College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences with his second Ph.D. — a doctorate in American history with a concentration in health care. Mooney’s first doctorate, a Ph.D. in social work, came from the University of Texas at Arlington.

  • Professor Takriti

    Center for Arab Studies Director Receives National Education Award

    The University of Houston College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) congratulates Center for Arab Studies Director and AAEF Chair in Modern Arab History Abdel Razzaq Takriti, who received the 2019 Undergraduate Education Award from the Middle East Studies Association of North America (MESA). Along with his co-author, University of Oxford professor Karma Nabulsi, Takriti was recognized for his outstanding work in helping fellow Middle East scholars and educators master the craft of teaching undergraduate students.

  • Piazzetta San Marco - Venice flooding 1966

    Swept Up in Emotion: Italian Researcher Reflects on the Flooding in Venice

    The images of extreme flooding in St. Mark's Basilica and other historic Venice landmarks have appalled many around the world. The damage hits particularly close to home for Alessandro Carrera, Ph.D., University of Houston Moores Professor in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and director of Italian Studies. A native of Italy, Carrera has conducted research in Venice and knows the city intimately.

  • Group from COMD on Belize Pyramids

    Students and Faculty Provide Speech, Language and Hearing Services in Belize

    A team of 17 students and four faculty members in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (COMD) recently traveled to Belize to provide speech, language and hearing services to underserved individuals.

  • Dr. Luis Medina -

    Professor Studies Intersections of Race, Culture, and Dementia

    Assistant Professor of Psychology Luis Medina is a 2019 grant recipient of the Alzheimer’s Association Research Fellowship to Promote Diversity. Medina’s research addresses how race, ethnicity and culture combine to influence the cognitive effects of aging and dementia.

  • Dr. Spitzmueller

    Study Offers Insight on Mentoring Programs for STEMM Students

    Professor of Psychology Christiane Spitzmueller served as a committee member on a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) study involving mentoring in STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and manufacturing). The study examined research on the mentoring of undergraduate and graduate students in STEMM fields, with a focus on individuals from underrepresented backgrounds.

  • Unisex bathroom sign on a brownish background

    CLASS Launches Institute for Research on Women, Gender, and Sexuality

    The University of Houston has launched the first university-based think tank focused on examining how gender and sexuality impact all aspects of life in Houston and Harris County, including workforce, health, family, relationships, social dynamics, leadership and equity. The Institute for Research on Women, Gender & Sexuality (IRWGS) unites two dozen faculty experts from across disciplines to gather data and generate innovative research along with meaningful community dialogue

  • Dr. Rachel Quinn

    NYC Research Center Hosts Cultural Studies Professor for Fellowship

    Assistant Professor of Cultural Studies Rachel Afi Quinn received $4,000 as part of a New York Public Library short-term fellowship. During her month-long fellowship, Quinn studied at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

  • Aerial view of supermarket aisles

    UH Introduces New Scholarship for Nutrition Excellence

    A new scholarship will honor the legacy of dedicated CLASS alumna and nutritionist Maris M. Coggin. The Maris M. Coggin Endowed Scholarship for Nutrition Excellence was created by Coggin's husband Clyde in order to continue her commitment to keeping people in the nutrition profession.

  • Natalia Trigo infront a green street light pole

    Creative Writer Awarded Worldwide Residencies to Complete New Book

    Natalia Trigo, a Ph.D. student in Spanish with a concentration in creative writing, has won the 2019 International Aura Estrada Prize in Literature. On the merits of a literary work that achieved its political and artistic goals, Trigo received a $10,000 stipend, four artistic residencies located around the world, and a book contract with Almadía Press

  • Sunkyung Nguon posing with trophy on hand

    Chinese Studies Minor Wins Speech Competition

    Sunkyung Nguon, an undergraduate student minoring in Chinese language, won the 18th Annual Greater Houston Chinese Speech Contest on November 10. Nguon took first prize in the Non-Chinese Background group.

  • Glass mountain issue 22 cover

    Undergraduate Literary Magazine Begins 12th Year of Publication

    Glass Mountain, UH's undergraduate literary magazine, enjoyed its 12th year of publication this fall. For the last ten years, the Glass Mountain team has run the Boldface Conference for Emerging Writers each spring at the M.D. Anderson Library, welcoming new community writers and undergraduates from other programs across the country.

  • Laura Gasca Jiménez

    Outstanding Dissertation Earns Hispanic Studies Alumna First Book Contract

    Laura Gasca Jiménez, a former doctoral student in the Department of Hispanic Studies, received the prestigious 2019 ASELE-Routledge international award for best dissertation and book contract. Gasca Jiménez completed her Ph.D. in Spanish linguistics in 2018.

  • Debunking Common Misperceptions of Asian Community Health

    Debunking Common Misperceptions of Asian Community Health

    Asian Americans have higher or faster-growing rates of cancer of various kinds than any other ethnic group, yet often don’t receive the necessary medical treatment. Common misperceptions about Asian health issues contribute to a lack of health awareness and a reluctance to seek care, according to research published in Public Relations Review.
  • Kid and parent doing with a bucket doig chores together

    Childhood Chores Not Related to Self-Control Development

    Although assigning household chores is considered an essential component of child-rearing, it turns out they might not help improve children’s self-control, a coveted personality trait that allows people to suppress inappropriate impulses, focus their attention and perform an action when there is strong tendency to avoid it. That’s the finding of a new study published in the Journal of Research in Personality by University of Houston assistant professor of psychology, Rodica Damian in collaboration with Olivia Atherton, Katherine Lawson and Richard Robins from the University of California, Davis.

  • Fall leaves next toa clock and next to an arrow pointing counterclockwise to signifyingIf you are feeling a little more rested today, you may think Daylight Saving Time had something to do with it. The practice of advancing clocks by one hour in the spring and “falling back” during autumn may have given us an additional hour of sleep; but Candice A. Alfano, professor of psychology and director of the UH Sleep and Anxiety Center of Houston, says our circadian rhythms – also known as our sleep/wake cycle – aren’t fooled by the change of time. fall back

    Daylight Saving Time: A Bright Idea or Not?

    If you are feeling a little more rested today, you may think Daylight Saving Time had something to do with it. The practice of advancing clocks by one hour in the spring and “falling back” during autumn may have given us an additional hour of sleep; but Candice A. Alfano, professor of psychology and director of the UH Sleep and Anxiety Center of Houston, says our circadian rhythms – also known as our sleep/wake cycle – aren’t fooled by the change of time.

  • 2019 John P. McGovern Lecture

    McGovern Lecture to Feature Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author, Historian, and Public Health expert David M. Oshinsky

    The University of Houston College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) is pleased to announce that Pulitzer Prize-winning author, historian, and public health expert David M. Oshinsky, Ph.D., will deliver the 2019 John P. McGovern Award Lecture in Family, Health and Human Values. Oshinsky is the director of the Division of Medical Humanities at NYU Langone Health and a professor in NYU’s Department of History. The lecture will take place Thursday, November 7 at 6:30 PM at the University Center South Theater.
  • Professor Named Fellow in American Academy of Health Behavior

    Professor Named Fellow in American Academy of Health Behavior

    The UH College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) is pleased to announce that Associate Professor of Health and Human Performance Daphne Hernandez has been accepted as a Fellow in the American Academy of Health Behavior (AAHB). Hernandez received a unanimous endorsement from the AAHB Board of Directors on the strength of her publications, grants, and presentations, which demonstrate a sustained commitment to excellence in research and improving public health.

  • Two women in a weight room at the gym

    UH Obesity and Diabetes Program Reports Success in Houston’s East End

    One year after launching in Houston’s East End, the University of Houston’s Project TOUCH (Treating Obesity in Underserved Communities) has new and meaningful numbers to report. The effort to prevent and treat obesity, type 2 diabetes and other ailments, opened in the East End after success in Houston’s Third Ward.

  • UH Launches New Doctoral Program in Communication Sciences and Disorders

    The University of Houston is addressing a local and national need for more experts in speech-language pathology and audiology with the launch of a doctoral program in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (COMD). The credential places UH among a select group of Texas universities that offer a Ph.D. in the field. The COMD department’s first class of doctoral students will begin in fall 2020.

  • Hope is a Key Factor in Recovering from Anxiety Disorders

    University of Houston associate professor of clinical psychology, Matthew Gallagher, has added his voice to a debate that spans the ages — the importance of hope. Gallagher reports in Behavior Therapy that hope is a trait that predicts resilience and recovery from anxiety disorders.

  • CLASS Mourns the Loss of One of its Own

    CLASS Mourns the Loss of One of its Own—UH Professor of Political Science Gregory R. Weiher, scholar and author, passes away

    "I am deeply saddened to announce that Professor of Political Science Gregory R. Weiher has transitioned,” said Antonio D. Tillis, dean of the UH College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) and M.D. Anderson Professor in Hispanic Studies. “A valued member of the UH community for over three decades, Professor Weiher will be deeply missed by his students and colleagues.”

  • Department of English Creative Writing Program Professor Honored Among Houston’s Finest Authors

    Department of English Creative Writing Program Professor Honored Among Houston’s Finest Authors

    The UH College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) is pleased to announce that Professor Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni of the Department of English will be honored at the inaugural Houston Literary Awards.
  • UH Receives $2 Million Commitment to Support Study of Tamil Language and Culture

    UH Receives $2 Million Commitment to Support Study of Tamil Language and Culture

    A Texas nonprofit organization with a mission to promote Tamil language, culture and literature has made a $2 million commitment to the University of Houston to establish an endowment supporting the study of Tamil heritage. The Tamil language is considered the oldest in the world — spoken by more than 70 million people worldwide — primarily in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Singapore.
  • Dr. Carrera on stage receiving his award

    Director of Italian Studies Honored for Two New Publications

    The UH College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) is proud to congratulate Alessandro Carrera, a Moores Professor in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages, on receiving the 2019 Flaiano Prize for Italian Studies. 

  • Suicide Risk Factors Vary by Ethnic Group

    Suicide Risk Factors Vary by Ethnic Group

    Approximately 8.3 million adults in the United States reported thinking about suicide last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While thoughts and deeds are clearly different, University of Houston professor of psychology Rheeda Walker has examined both and finds that current approaches to suicide prevention are troubling, because they usually consist of a “one-size-fits- all approach.”

     

  • I AM A MAN photo Exhibit

    Internationally Acclaimed Photography Exhibit Brings Civil Rights History to UH

    The works of renowned photojournalist Ernest C. Withers (1922-2007), who captured the progression of anti-racism protests, marches and activism throughout the United States, were on view at the University of Houston M.D. Anderson Library from Oct. 20 through Nov. 3.

  • CLASS announces winners of the 2019 Ross M. Lence Teaching Excellence Awards

    The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences gives out teaching excellence awards in two categories each year, Humanities and Social Sciences. The awards are named to honor the memory of one of the University of Houston’s most inspiring teachers, Ross M. Lence, a professor of political science from 1971 – 2006.

  • Sociology Professor Receives Three Prestigious Honors in Three-Month Span

    The UH College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) is pleased to announce that Professor of Sociology Pamela Anne Quiroz, Ph.D., has been recognized by several local and statewide organizations for her outstanding record of service and leadership.

  • Adults Who Mix Cannabis with Opioids for Pain Report Higher Anxiety, Depression

    A researcher from the University of Houston has found that adults who take prescription opioids for severe pain are more likely to have increased anxiety, depression and substance abuse issues if they also use marijuana.

  • Dr. Morales

    ‘Fake News,’ Diminishing Media Trust and the Role of Social Media

    The term “fake news” has been popularized by President Donald Trump in recent years, and while its meaning has been hotly debated, the spreading of false information to fulfill a political agenda is far from a new concept around the world. Exploring the perception of the “fake news” phenomenon is critical to combating the ongoing global erosion of trust in the media according to a study co-authored by a University of Houston researcher.

  • digitizing books

    U.S. Latino Digital Humanities Program to Launch at UH with Mellon Foundation Grant

    A $750,000 grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has been awarded to the University of Houston to establish a first-of-its-kind U.S. Latino Digital Humanities Program in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.

  • Money Talks. UH Professor Frank Holt Decodes Ancient Coins to Reconstruct History

    University of Houston history professor Frank Holt hasn’t just studied ancient history, he’s reconstructed and rewritten it. Holt has discovered kings and queens of ancient civilizations by studying the heritage of ancient coins. It’s an area of study called numismatics.

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