Humanities Radio

Megan Randall, career coach in the Career and Professional Development Center, discusses how her office helps students better understand what they want to do professionally and what steps they need to take to get there.

The writing center at the U is committed to teaching students how to become more confident writers by providing individual consultations with peer tutors. Annie McMurtrey, director of the center, discusses how she and the tutors help students from all disciplines improve their writing skills on any document such as synthesis papers, essays, applications and even parking ticket appeals.

The U is constantly developing cutting-edge research in all areas across campus from finding a cure to cancer to understanding the complexities of the society we live in. Kalli Glauser, a student leader from the Office of Undergraduate Research, provides advice about how undergraduate students can get involved in research opportunities.

Sam Smith, a Humanities House resident minoring in Brazilian Studies and majoring in applied mathematics, openly discusses the value of his humanities education, the roadblocks he’s encountered during his time at the U and his goals for the future.

Ned Khatrichettri, internship coordinator for the College of Humanities, discusses the importance of internship experiences, types of internships and how to find the right one.

The Environmental Humanities Graduate Program trains the next generation of environmental leaders and thinkers. Jeffrey McCarthy, director of the program, discusses the curriculum, student research and career opportunities for graduates.

As Utah’s Poet Laureate, Paisley Rekdal, professor of English, travels around the state to visit schools and libraries to advocate for literature and the arts. She is also creating a website that maps all of the poets and writers who live and have lived in Utah. In this podcast, Rekdal, an award-winning writer, talks about her role as Utah’s Poet Laureate, her work and her current projects.

The programs and activities of the Confucius Institute aim to expand knowledge and understanding of China and its multi-faceted importance for the state of Utah. Fusheng Wu, director of the institute, discusses the cultural events and language learning opportunities available to the campus and community.

As one of the most popular undergraduate programs at the U, International Studies uses wide-ranging resources to prepare students to live and work in the global world. Director of the program and assistant professor of history Hugh Cagle, talks about the flexibility of the major and how students can design their own curriculum based on their unique goals and interests.

El Centro de Estudios Latinoamericanos es un Centro Nacional de Recursos del Título VI que sirve como un eje para actividades relacionadas con América Latina en la Universidad de Utah abarcando docencia, investigación y alcance comunitario. El profesor asociado en ciencia política y director del centro Claudio Holzner explica cómo el centro interdisciplinario apoya a estudiantes, profesores y al p...

The Center for Latin American Studies, a Title VI National Resource Center, serves as a hub for Latin American-related activities at the University of Utah involving teaching, research and community outreach. Claudio Holzner, associate professor of political science and director of the center, talks about how the interdisciplinary center supports students, faculty and the greater public. Also avai...

The Second Language Teaching and Research Center supports research on second language acquisition and supports teachers at all levels of instruction. Fernando Rubio, co-director of the center and professor of Spanish Linguistics, provides details about the center and how it serves the language teaching community across the state and country.

The Peace and Conflict Studies program trains students how to resolve differences in the workplace, with friends and family, in the community and beyond. David Derezotes, professor of social work and director of the program, discusses what students can expect from the interdisciplinary program, what they’ll learn and their career options after graduation.

The Humanities in Focus program in the College of Humanities helps non-traditional adult learners acquire skills to make documentaries and find their voice through filmmaking. Since 2005, more than 75 documentaries have been created exploring issues such as homelessness, drug addiction, domestic violence, foster care, immigration, escaping polygamy and surviving cancer. Jeff Metcalf, professor of...

Derived from Greek words meaning “love of wisdom,” philosophy teaches students to question and analyze themselves and the world around them. Dustin Stokes, associate professor of philosophy, explores the value and benefits of a philosophical education.

History majors study everything from the Gettysburg Address to the European economy and learn important skills such as information management, writing, critical thinking and how to research. Ben Cohen, professor of history, discusses why historical knowledge is vital to society and why it’s important to understand who we are and where we come from.

To major in a language means to learn about another culture from a variety of angles, such as customs, habits, food, film, literature and history. Katharina Gerstenberger, professor of German, explores how the study of language and culture is more than just a basic understanding of words, it helps students better understand the true meaning of those words and prepares them to effectively communica...

From Shakespeare to video games, an English degree teaches valuable skills such as communication in writing, attention to detail and the ability to negotiate and appreciate complexity. Matt Potolsky, professor of English, discusses the diversity of the degree and how it’s more than just studying old books.

Christie Toth, assistant professor of writing and rhetoric studies, discusses the value of being an effective writer in an evolving and constantly changing world. As writing is a key component in nearly every career, Toth’s department offers majors, minors and courses to help students develop critical abilities for their future jobs.

Associate professor Kevin Coe discusses the flexibility of a communication degree and the key skills taught within the major. As the changing information environment has become richer and more complex, students in communication learn how to adapt, understand and analyze it in order to use it to their advantage both personally and professionally. Coe also discusses the range of jobs available to st...

What is linguistics? How is it useful? What kind of job can you get with a linguistics degree? Why is there growing demand in the tech industry to hire linguists? Aaron Kaplan, assistant professor of linguistics in the College of Humanities, answers all of these questions.

There are many myths about humanities degrees. Are they degrees to nowhere? Can you actually get a job? Will you learn any practical job skills? Noel Voltz, assistant professor of African American history, explains not only why these are myths, but also examines the benefit of a humanities education. Voltz stresses that the humanities teach valuable and in-demand skills such as reading, writing an...