Research at the core of study and teaching in the College

CLASS students and faculty showcases advanced study in the humanities

The College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences serves as the nexus for some of the most innovative research happening on the University’s campus and within the city of Houston, as this special edition of the CLASS News Update highlights.

To maintain and accelerate that momentum, Dean John W. Roberts created within his leadership team the position of Associate Dean for Faculty and Research and appointed to the job Kathleen Brosnan, associate professor of history and the associate director of the Center for Public History.

He has also launched two new funding opportunities for faculty and graduate student research – the Grant-in-Aid Program and the Dissertation Completion Fellowships.

The Grant-in-Aid Program provides start-up funding up to $6,000 to tenured and tenure-track faculty for new scholarly projects and up to $3,000 in financial assistance to complete ongoing investigations and publish new works of scholarship.

Dissertation Completion Fellowships provides stipends of $20,000 to cover students' expenses for up to a full academic year while they complete their dissertations. Funding for the fellowships comes from a $5 million grant to the University by the Houston Endowment and the Delores Welder Mitchell Endowed Scholarship Fund in CLASS.

Several upcoming events also will present to the public and campus community the advanced study in the humanities being conducted by CLASS faculty and students:

Undergraduate Research Day 2011

The College will spotlight some of its talented students during the 7th annual Undergraduate Research Day 2011. All students who have conducted a substantive research project as an undergraduate within the last year have the opportunity to apply to present a poster, a paper, or artistic project.

The event begins at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 13 in the Rockwell Pavilion on the second floor of the M.D. Anderson Library on campus and is open to the public. The work presented will represent many majors and colleges at the University and range from course-based projects to artistic exhibitions.

CLASS Study Abroad: The Summer 2011 Report

This past summer, the College sponsored study abroad courses in Europe, Asia and Africa. For the first time, the College will host an event to highlight students' foreign educational experiences.

The Department of Modern and Classical Languages has a summer program in China. The African American Studies Program's summer study takes place in Ghana. The Department of Hispanic Studies hosts its summer program in Spain.

The Liberal Studies Program, which is now housed within the Department of Comparative Cultural Studies, sponsored a summer seminar in Italy. This winter, the program will launch a winter session course in Strasbourg, France that includes excursions to Germany and Switzerland.

Additionally, the University's Office of International Studies and Programs connects students to other study abroad programs in the countries that interest them and assists them in applying for financial aid to cover their education expenses while overseas. Students will make presentations about their studies and travels from 2:30 – 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 28 in the KIVA Room on the first floor of Farish Hall.

Community-Engaged Research Workshop

Town-gown relations don't evolve into positive interactions without work on both sides. To assist research institutions interested in building meaningful community collaborations, the Hobby Center for Public Policy hosts an annual conference on the topic.

The 3rd annual Community-Engaged Research Workshop will be held Thursday and Friday, October 27 – 28 in the Houston Ballroom of the University Center.

The two-day workshop brings together academics, applied practitioners and community advocates to discuss the most effective ways to conduct research within a community, with an emphasis on engaging hard-to-reach populations.

This year’s conference topics include:

• What Does It Mean to Represent the Community?
• Bridging the Gulf: Assessing the Human Health Effects of the BP Deepwater Horizon Spill
• Body & Soul: Promotion of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in an African-American Community
• Creating Community Networks to Promote Complex Goals such as Environmental Justice
• Substance Abuse and HIV Prevention and Treatment in Minority and GLBT Communities

CLASS Faculty Research and Creative Arts Reception

Dean Roberts is hosting the first CLASS Faculty Research and Creative Arts Reception on from 3 – 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov.  2, 2011n the Rockwell Pavilion of the M.D. Anderson Library.

The reception is an opportunity for the College’s departments, programs and centers to share with the larger campus community the depth, breadth, and high quality of CLASS faculty research and creative arts.

University President Renu Khator and Provost John Antel, who both have faculty appointments within the College, will be in attendance, as well as other representatives from the University Administration and the Division of Research.

- Shannon Buggs