About

Welcome

Welcome to the Syracuse University Humanities Center, a dynamic hub of scholarship and programming located in the beautiful Tolley Humanities Building. Officially housed in the College of Arts and Sciences, we are one of several campuswide research centers and institutes at Syracuse University.

At the Center, and across the region via the CNY Humanities Corridor, we:

• highlight how the humanities are vital to the public good;
• facilitate engagement and collaboration;
• support diverse forms of humanities research.

Explore our website to learn more about all we do to foster research, promote intellectual exchange, and emphasize the deep relevance of the humanities to wider publics. We look forward to meeting you at one of our many activities, soon!

Vivian M. May, Ph.D.
Director, Humanities Center | Director, CNY Humanities Corridor

P.S. View or download our most recent Year-End report here!

Initiatives

Fellowships

We support outstanding faculty and graduate student research with several annual fellowships. Visit our Fellowships page to learn more and to apply.

• Four (4) Faculty Fellowships: meet current and prior Faculty Fellows.
• Two (2) Dissertation Fellowships: meet current and prior Dissertation Fellows.
• With CNY Humanities Corridor support, we have long partnered with Humanities New York to offer two (2) Public Humanities Graduate Students working on public humanities projects. Meet current HNY grantee(s) and prior Fellows.
• New in 2024, we welcomed two (2) Engaged Humanities Postdoctoral Fellows. Learn more about them.

Browse an archive of fellows' brief presentations at our (Kaltura) video channel.

Central New York Humanities Corridor

Headquartered at the Humanities Center, and supported by an award from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation when founded in 2006, the Corridor is a dynamic regional research consortium of 11 universities and colleges. This vibrant network fosters innovative research, teaching, and programming collaborations across institutions. Visit the Corridor’s website to learn more, including how to form a Working Group and apply for funding.

Syracuse Symposium

This annual themed public events series showcases innovative, interdisciplinary work in the humanities by renowned scholars, artists, authors, and performers. Explore our Syracuse Symposium page.

Books in the Humanities Celebration

Each spring, we showcase books by Syracuse University authors and editors released the previous year. Complete our brief survey to submit your book information. Special thanks to our supporting partners: the Syracuse University Office of Research, Syracuse University Libraries, and the Syracuse University Bookstore.

Distinguished Visiting Professorships

We bring diverse voices and perspectives to campus via two opportunities: the Jeannette K. Watson Distinguished Visiting Professor in the Humanities and the Corridor's Distinguished Visiting Collaborator. Learn more at our Distinguished Visiting Professors page.

Mini-seminars / Workshops

We present info sessions and career development workshops across the year, focused on new humanities research, research/writing support, specialized methods, and hands-on applications. Browse our Calendar and subscribe to our e-news briefs to keep tabs on opportunities.

Co-Sponsorships/Partnerships

We support humanities-related collaborations across the University and with the wider community via co-sponsorships and other partnerships. To submit a proposal, visit our Forms page.

History

Founded in 2008, the Humanities Center is housed at the center of campus in the historic Tolley Humanities Building, named after William P. Tolley (Chancellor from 1942 to 1969). Designed by local architect Archimedes Russell (1840-1915) to house the Von Ranke Library, which opened in 1889, library needs soon outgrew the space, despite an addition in 1903. When the collections moved to the Carnegie Library in 1907, the building served as home to university administration offices for the next century.

In 2007, Chancellor Nancy Cantor relocated the chancellor’s office to Crouse Hinds Hall to create room in Tolley for the new Syracuse University Humanities Center. Tolley was officially dedicated to the Humanities in 2010. Humanists from across campus now enjoy our beautiful spaces for workshops, dialogues, readings, research presentations, and more.

Thanks to the generosity of Leonard T. Sainsbury ('39, G'40) and his wife Ruth, who gave $500,000 in support of the humanities to the College of Arts and Sciences, our Sainsbury Library offers a welcoming environment for quiet study, contemplation, and intellectual exchange.

Stop by Tolley's 3rd floor to enjoy our art-filled spaces, including pieces by Light Work artist Barry Anderson, commissioned in 2009 by the Gregg Lambert, the Center's founding director. We are also pleased to showcase several contemporary prints, paintings, and collages on loan from the Syracuse University Art Museum.

Photos on this page courtesy of Syracuse University Postcard Collection and Syracuse University Photograph Collection, University Archives, Syracuse University Libraries.

Prior Directors:

• 2014-2015 Gerald R. Greenberg, Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs; Humanities; Curriculum, Instruction and Programs. Interim Director
• 2013-2014 Dympna Callaghan, William L. Safire Professor of Modern Letters. Interim Director
• 2008-2013 Gregg Lambert, Dean's Professor of the Humanities and Principal Investigator of the CNY Humanities Corridor. Founding Director. Signature initiatives under Lambert’s leadership included the Perpetual Peace Project and a visit by His Holiness the 14th Dali Lama. UPDATE: Visit the newly launched Perpetual Peace Project 2022 site.