On Thursday, January 22, the Franco Institute held its second workshop for the 2025-2026 cohort of humanities fellows. Two of this year’s fellows shared work from their in-progress manuscripts with distinguished guest scholars and faculty colleagues. The research from both faculty members incorporated a wide range of methods across disciplines and focus areas to illustrate their innovative scholarship.
Alex Chávez, associate professor of anthropology and the Linehan Humanities fellow, presented an excerpt from his manuscript Sound City: Place, Poiesis, Xicago. This book project situates how sound is enacted within and upon Latinx communities in Chicago. Chávez's work employs interdisciplinary methods from an anthropological perspective to join together Latin American studies, urban studies, and sound studies.
Ann Mische, associate professor of sociology and peace studies and the Sheedy Humanities Fellow, shared a chapter from Futures in Contention: Public Scenarios and Transformative Politics in the Global Arena. In this work, Mische draws on various disciplines including sociology, political philosophy and theology. She uses case studies, reports, and interviews to ask why scenario methodologies emerged transnationally as a tool for public deliberation and to explore what effects these techniques have on debates and interventions in response to critical global problems.
The final workshop for the remaining humanities fellows will take place in March to round out the cohort’s collaboration and mutual feedback.
Franco Humanities Fellowships support full-time research in the humanities by individual faculty in Arts & Letters. Each humanities fellow receives relief from teaching and service responsibilities for one semester while receiving full salary and benefits.
Humanities fellowship applications are due on February 1 along with applications for public fellowships and mid-career fellowships.