Special Events

The Global Humanities Institute and the Robert L. Giron Global Humanities Lecture Series Present:
An Afternoon with Memoirist, Phyllis Bifle Elmore

Date and Time: March 26, 2024, 3:30 pm - 4:45 pm
Location: CM 211 (Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus) and via Zoom
Ms. Elmore will be reading from her memoir, Quilt of Souls.

Date: October 25, 2023.
Time: 1 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.
Location: Cultural Arts Center Gallery, Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus (7995 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring Maryland)

For more information, please contact Cinder Barnes at cinder.cooper@montgomerycollege.edu

Maryland Poet Laureate Grace Cavalieri

Date: April 18, 2023.
Time: 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Location: Cultural Arts Center Gallery, Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus (7995 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring Maryland)
* Free copies of Trenton: Poems by Grace Cavalieri will be available to the first 20 students.
For more information, please contact Cinder Barnes at cinder.barnes@montgomerycollege.edu

12:30 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.
Host: Cinder Cooper Barnes, Professor and Director of GHI
Presenter: Kim Roberts

Kim Roberts will be reading selected poems, talking about why we turn to poems at times of deep emotion, and discussing poets who have influenced her from DC’s rich literary history. 

She is an award-winning poet and literary historian residing in Washington, DC. Author of six books of poems, editor of two anthologies, and co-editor of the web exhibit DC Writers’ Homes. 

Recommended Media: Kim Roberts - An award-winning poet and literary historiannew window
Sponsor: Global Humanities Institute 

Thursday, April 7th, 2022
11:00-12:15 via Zoom

Charity Blackwell is a spoken word artist, host, emcee, and poetry specialist who has spent several years contributing to the arts scene in DC and across national platforms. She is a Trinity University graduate, where she received her B.A and M.A. in Communications. She is the Director of Creative Arts and Education at the arts and sports nonprofit DC SCORESnew window and the D.O.P.E (Director of Poetry Events) at the well renowned DC arts cultural hub, Busboys and Poetsnew window.  

https://charityblackwell.comnew window | Charity Blackwell at MC (PDF, )

For more information, contact Carol Moore: carol.moore@montgomerycollege.edu

Indigo Fields: Poems from the Salvadoran Diaspora
Monday, October 25, 2021, via Zoom
4:30-5:30

Register for this 2021 Humanities Days event

Mills was born in DC to a Salvadoran mother and a Jewish-American father. A 2005 graduate of Montgomery College, he has been featured at a variety of music and poetry festivals including Different Kind of Dude Fest, Positive Youth Fest, and Split this Rock. His work has appeared in Folio, Border Crossing, Hyrsteria, RiverSedge and in the Time You Let Me In anthology. In 2016 he received an MFA in poetry from New York University. Mills will be reading from his upcoming collection of poetry titled The Indigo Field. These poems explore the identity of the children of the displaced, and our complicated relationship to language.

For more information about the poetry reading, contact: Carol Moore, Event Host, at carol.moore@montgomerycollege.edu

The Global Humanities Institute Robert L. Giron Lecture Series and the Paul Peck Humanities Institute present Harvard graduate Amanda Gorman who, at 22, has been heralded as "the next great figure of poetry in the U.S." In 2017 she made history by becoming the first ever Youth Poet Laureate of the United States of America. She read her poem, "The Hill We Climb," at President Biden's inauguration. Montgomery College is pleased to announce Ms. Gorman will be joining President DeRionne Pollard for a conversation and poetry reading. 

The fall 2020 Robert L. Giron Global Humanities Lecture Series featured Joseph Ross (recording)new window, the author of four books of poetry: Raising King (2020), Ache (2017), Gospel of Dust (2013) and Meeting Bone Man (2012). His poems appear in many anthologies and journals, including The New York Times Magazine and Poet Lore. He teaches English and Creative Writing at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C. and writes regularly at www.JosephRoss.netnew window. Mr. Ross read from his work latest book, Raising King, led a discussion of the current moment of social justice reckoning in the U.S. and around the world on November 18, 2020. Event flyer (PDF, ) .

On April 15, 2020 The Robert L. Giron Lecture series presented award-winning author and speaker Sergio Troncoso (PDF, )  (recording). Troncoso’s most recent book, A Peculiar Kind of Immigrant’s Sonnew window, is a collection of linked short stories about immigrants finding their home beyond the U.S. - Mexican border.

STEM to STEAM 2024 The HeART of the Matter | 9th Annual STEAM Event

Join us on Friday, March 22nd, 2024, 2:00 - 4:00pm via Zoom

Humanities and STEM discpines join together to participate in discussions around a Ojobal interdisciplinary theme.
This year's theme is "From STEM to STEAM: The (He)ART of the Matter." Because the arts and humanities are vital in helping us to understand the potential risks and rewards of technological innovation.

Participants will choose from among these breakout room discussions:

1. Does Tech Truly Enhance Human Learning Experiences? Access, Barriers, and Caveats
   Erika Bucciantini (Latin) and Angela Lanier (ELITE)
   
2. The Mythical Black Superwoman in the Age of Social and Mass Media
   Tracey Smith-Bryant (Psychology) and Cinder Barnes (English)
   
3. Technology and Gender: Site of Social Pressure and Social Resistance
   Rita Kranidis (English) and Deborah Stearns (Psychology)
   
4. The Intersection Between Art, Copyright and A.I.
   Arthur Grinath (Economics) and Sarah Jorgensen (Art)
   
5. What do Gender and Technology have to do with Conservation?
   Tori Schneider (Biology) and Deb Taylor (English)
   
6. Are We Becoming More Artificial and Technology Becoming More Human?
   Jayme Sue Wright (Nursing) and Jennifer Baugh (Humanities)

STEAM will feature dynamic breakout room discussions led by pairs of Faculty and Staff from Humanities and STEM disciplines to generate a multidisciplinary dialogue around issues of global importance.

*Students, faculty, staff, and administrators are all welcome.

Please register on Zoom
To receive professional development credit, Faculty and staff should also register in Workday

For more informatim, please contact Cinder Barnes at Cinder.Barnes@montgomerycollege.edu
This 9th Annual STEAM event is sponsored by the Global Humanities Institute and ELITE

STEAM 2023 Out of STEAM? | 8th Annual STEAM event

Friday, March 3, 2023, 2:00 - 4:00pm via Zoom

Out of STEAM? The Economy, Inflation, and the Supply Chain is the theme as MC Students, Faculty, Staff, and Administrators gather for the 8th Annual STEAM event - an afternoon of rich, interdisciplinary discussion around a compelling topic of global importance.

The event includes remarks by:

Cinder Barnes, Director, Director of the Global Humanities Institute
Muhammad Kehnemouyi, Interim Vice President and Provost
Dr. Sanjay Rai, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

1. The Economy and the Surge of Goblin Mode - Alejandra Picard Morales (Psychology) and Hoa Nguyen (Economics)
2. A Circular Economy: The Only Sustainable Approach to Access and Equity - Rebecca Portis (English) and Craig Mogren (Engineering)
3. Central Bank Digital Currency and the Inevitable Surveillance State - Philip Bonner (ELITE/ESL) and Antonio Chaves (Biology)
4. Essential Minerals: The Weak Link in the Supply Chain - Arthur Grinath (Economics) and Diane McDaniel (Geology) 
5. Inflation and Other Economic Catastrophes: Impact on Human Lives - Rita Kranidis (English) and Rupa Das (Economics)
6. The Effect of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the Economy - LaTonya Pinkard (English) and Gloria Barron (CMSC)

Faculty and staff, please register through MC Learns: STEAM 2023: Exploring the Intersections of Global Humanities and STEM through the Economy, Inflation, and the Supply Chain | Learning (myworkday.com)

Students and guests, please register on Zoom

For more information, please contact Craig Benson at craig.benson@montgomerycollege.edu
This 8th Annual STEAM event is sponsored by the Global Humanities Institute and ELITE

STEAM 2022  Wellbeing for All | 7th Annual STEAM event

Friday, March 4, 2022, 2:00 - 4:00pm via Zoom

Wellbeing for All is the theme as MC Students, Faculty, Staff, and Administrators gather for the 7th Annual STEAM event - an afternoon of rich, interdisciplinary discussion around a compelling topic of global importance.

Cinder Cooper Barnes, Director of the Global Humanities Institute
Dr. Sanjay Rai, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

1. Finding Order in a Chaotic World - Steve Wheatley (Mathematics) and David Carter (Art) 
2. Our Wicked Ways: When Looking Out for Ourselves is Bad for Everybody Including Ourselves - Diane McDaniel (Geology and Physical Sciences) and Arthur Grinath (Economics)
3. Mindfulness and the Brain - Stephanie Will (Student Health and Wellness [SHaW] Center), Richard Cerkovnik, (Interdisciplinary Science, Technology, Engineering and Math [iSTEM] Network), and Sharon Kauffman (iSTEM Network)
4. Vaccines: A Philosophical and Biological Perspective - Dan Jenkins (Philosophy) and Meg Birney (Biology)
5. The Role of Social Isolation on Wellbeing - Rachel Sullivan (Sociology) and Anestine Theophile-LaFond (Communications)
6. Representations of Health and Illness in Media, Literature, and Art - Rita Kranidis (English), Craig Benson (Chemistry), and Robin Meyer (Art)

Door prizes provided by Student Health and Wellness (SHaW) Center and MC Next Generation Wellness!

For more information, please contact Carol Moore at carol.moore@montgomerycollege.edu
This 7th Annual STEAM event is sponsored by the Global Humanities Institute and ELITE

STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math. The annual STEAM event at Montgomery College engages faculty, students, staff, and administrators in a dynamic, interdisciplinary discussion of a theme of global importance.

STEAMed Planet: Exploring the Intersections of Global Humanities and STEM through Climate Change occurred on Friday, March 5, 2021, 2–4 p.m. on Zoom with the participation of over 100 students, faculty, staff and administrators!

Explore the Table Topics:

Table 1: Visual Depictions of Climate Change: How Can Art Show Human Impact?  - Amanda Miller (Art) and Gillian Backus (Biology, NVCC)
Table 1 Presentation (PDF, )

Table 2: The Texas Deep Freeze: Can the Free Market Adequately Cope with Climate Crises?  - Arthur Grinath (Economics) and Diane K. McDaniel (Geology)
Table 2 Presentation  (PDF, )

Table 3:  Documenting and Displaying Climate Change Using Proxy Data Sources - Chip Gladson (English) and Bill Krayer (Meteorology)
Table 3 Presentation (PDF, )
 
Table 4: Teaching Climate Change - David Fallick (ELAP) and Teresa Peachy (Meteorology)

Table 5:  Human Ecodynamics and Integrating Humanity into Environmental Science - Kevin Gibbons (Anthropology) and Alejandra Morales Picard (Psychology)
Table 5 Presentation 1  (PDF, )     Table 5 Presentation 2 (PDF, )

Table 6: Ocean Acidification - Anita Mohan (Chemistry, NVCC) and Rita Kranidis (ENGL)
Table 6 Presentation (PDF, )  

Table 7:  Global Ecotourism - Craig Benson (Chemistry) and Greg Malveaux (English and Study Abroad)
Table 7 Presentation (PDF, )
 
Table 8: Climate Change in Literature - Cinder Cooper Barnes (English) and Victoria Schneider (Environmental Biology) 
Table 8 Presentation (PDF, )

Table 9:  Making Teachers out of Students: Optimizing Action and Expression through Project-based Learning - Brandon Wallace (Education) and Ingrid (Van) Scott (Mathematics)
Table 9 Presentation (PDF, )

Other Documents
Zoom Chat from Final Discussion (PDF, )
STEAMed Planet Shared Document (PDF, )

STEAMed Planet 2021 Group Photo

Exploring the Intersections of Global Humanities and STEM in Social Media

Friday, March 29, 2019, Germantown Campus

The theme of the 5th annual STEAM roundtables is Social Media. Faculty from STEM and Humanities are invited to submit proposals for table topics now. STEAM features eight roundtables, each led by a faculty pair – one STEM and one Humanities. What aspect of the history, impact, or future of SOCIAL MEDIA do you want to explore with a group of colleagues and students? How can this discussion enhance teaching and learning at MC and build our global competence?

*STEAM Chat is a component of the popular global gaming platform called “STEAM” which is owned by the Valve Corporation (https://STEAMcommunity.com) 

STEAM Engine 2018:
Exploring the Intersection between Global Humanities and STEM through Energy

March 22, 2018, 2:30 - 4:30pm, Bioscience Education Center (BE 151), Germantown Campus

The annual STEAM event enabled a much-needed collaboration between STEM fields and the Humanities. This interdisciplinary event addressed the need for this collaboration for the benefit of a substantive and deep student learning by focusing on a complex issue of global importance. The two-hour event opened with a welcome from Margaret Latimer, Provost and Vice President of the campus, and Sanjay Rai, Vice President for Academic Affairs, both of whom appreciate the need for this collaboration for the benefit of student learning and a more purposeful program of study as outlined in the College's newly revised General Education program. Round table discussion were led by faculty from STEM and Humanities and Arts disciplines who shared their own experience, posed questions, and shared resources. 

• Opening remarks by Dr. Sanjay Rai and Provost Margaret Latimer
• Displays of student collaborative art project on “The Supermarket,” focused on products, buildings, and energy--with Alice Gadzinski, MC Resident Artist
• Excellent classroom resources provided by the Pulitzer Center, and Science Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities 
• Participation by the STEM Education Student Club
• Hosting STEAM colleagues from NOVA 
• Q & A and open discussion, refreshments, and time to network with colleagues

Table Topics and Discussion Leaders;

Table 1: Appalachian Coal: Alan Cutler (Geology) and Megan Van Wagoner (Art)
Table 2: Peak Fuels and Associated Transitions throughout History: John Quah (Atmospheric and Oceanic Science) and Ethan Sribnick (History)
Table 3: Energy Use in Advanced and Emerging Economies, An Ethical Inquiry: Alison Rose (Mathematics) and Patricia Ruppert (Philosophy)
Table 4: Different Forms of Energy: Nevart Tahmazian (Chemistry) and Dan Santore (Sociology)
Table 5: The Relationship between Energy, Economics and Quality of Life: Antonio Rafael Chavez (Biology) and Alex Moyer (Philosophy)
Table 6: Too Many Choices!: Choosing the Right Energy Strategy to Deal with Climate Change: Diane McDaniel (Geology and Physical Sciences) and Art Grinath (Economics)
Table 7: Clean Energy: The Rhetoric and the Reality: Gillian Backus (Biology) and Robyn Russo (English) Northern Virginia Community College
Table 8: Green Colleges: J. Michael Whitcomb (MC Green) and Rob Johnson (Director of Sustainability at Northern Virginia Community College)

2017 STEAMed:
Exploring the Intersection Between Global Humanities and STEM through Water

March 31, 2017, 2:00 - 4:00 pm, Bioscience Education Center (BE151), Germantown Campus

STEM and Humanities faculty were invited to have a collaborative discussion on a topic of global concern and to generate ideas for teaching. The focus was on the urgently important issue of water. The event featured:

• Opening remarks by Dr. Sanjay Rai and Provost Margaret Latimer
• Displays of student art based on the theme of water
• Excellent classroom resources provided by the Pulitzer Center, and Science Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities 
• Participation by the STEM Education Student Club
• Hosting STEAM colleagues from NOVA
• Refreshments and time to network with colleagues.

2016 STEAM Cleaned:
Exploring the Intersection Between Global Humanities and STEM through Clothing

Friday, April 15, 2016,  2:00-4:00pm, Germantown Campus

Dear colleagues,

All of you have been identified as faculty who might be interested in playing a leadership role in this year’s STEAM event. We are very excited about it and look forward to your participation!

The goal of the event is to provide faculty with the opportunity to have a collaborative discussion on a topic and to generate ideas for integrating STEM and Global Humanities content into their teaching. We would like to have 8 tables of 8 or so faculty, each table led by at least two faculty (representing STEM and Humanities or other disciplines such as Social Sciences).

The link below will take you to a sign-up document. We will use responses in chronological order to create 8 teams. Several of us brainstormed a list of potential topics which are in the column on the left. There is a column for STEM faculty and one for Humanities faculty. We are asking you to take responsibility for signing up for a topic. You are very welcome to add your own topic. You may recruit a partner from across the disciplines or sign up solo and see who might join you. We are doing it this way to involve as many faculty as possible, encourage you to lead a discussion on a topic that is most of interest to you, and to help us effectively keep track of who is doing what!

We will send a follow-up email at the beginning of the semester after you have had a chance to sign up. Please let us know if you have any questions.

All best wishes,

Carol and Rita

Dr. Carol Moore
Instructional Designer
E-Learning, Innovation and Teaching Excellence (ELITE)
Montgomery College
Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus, RC110A
240-567-1677

Rita Kranidis, PhD
Professor, English
Director, Global Humanities Institute
Montgomery College
7600 Takoma Avenue, Cafritz 127
240-567-1617
Global Humanities Institute 

2015 STEAMed Rice:
Exploring the Intersection Between Global Humanities and STEM through Food

The Global Humanities Institute (GHI) recognizes the contributions of individuals whose work promotes an appreciation of the humanities and their importance to higher education and/or community engagement. These individuals, whatever their positions or areas of expertise, have made an impact on the appreciation and enhancement of the study of cultures, languages, literature, religions, and philosophies. They remind us of the importance of humanistic studies to our own culture and to our society.

The GHI Humanities Leadership Award is given in October, at the end of the Humanities Days celebration.

This call for nominations is for the Global Humanities Institute at Montgomery College Leadership Award. The award's purpose is to recognize outstanding achievement in humanities teaching, scholarship, and community engagement. It celebrates an individual who helps students and communities better understand the important of the humanities in knowing our world today, and recognizes someone whose support for global perspectives in the humanities is exemplary.

The GHI Humanities Leadership Award is open to scholars, teachers, activists, philanthropists and others whose work furthers the depth, breadth, and reach of the humanities on a global level. Nominations will be evaluated by the GHI's internal advisory boards and steering committee. The awardee will be contacted in the third week of September.

One awardee will be recognized at the M.C. Humanities Days Capstone Event each fall and will be asked to make remarks of ten minutes in duration. A video featuring an interview with the awardee will be published via YouTube and will be available for open sharing. Information about the awardee will be posted on the GHI webpages, the M.C. Web site, and in press releases to relevant professional associations and newsletters.

Carol Moore, Amy Gumaer and Marcia Bronstein

Dr. Amy Gumaer Receives the 2017 GHI Humanities Leadership Award.

Dr. Amy A. Gumaer is a manager of grants and sponsored programs in Montgomery College’s Office of Advancement and Community Engagement. She has led efforts to secure two prestigious grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, which have provided essential funding for the College’s Global Humanities program. She received the Outstanding Change Agent Award of Excellence for Postsecondary Education by the Maryland State Department of Education’s Division of Career and College Readiness for her work convening a statewide group of college administrators and institutional researchers. Prior to her work in grants, she was Associate Dean and Acting Dean of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at the TP/SS Campus. Before coming to Montgomery College, Dr. Gumaer was Director of the International Language Lab, Director of International Education, and Associate Professor at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, NY. Dr. Gumaer has a B.A. in German (cum laude) from the University of New Hampshire, and an M.A. in Education (to teach German) from the University at Albany, State University of New York. She completed an interdisciplinary Doctor of Arts degree in Humanistic Studies and was awarded the University at Albany’s Distinguished Dissertation Award.

• A Map of the Labyrinth: My Path to the Global Humanities (PDF, )
• Fifth Annual Humanities Days Program - EL SALVADOR: HOME AND BELONGING (PDF, )
• Dr. Amy Gumaer’s Acceptance Speech (video)new window

Professor Joan Naake Receives the 2015 GHI Humanities Leadership Award.

The Global Humanities Institute and the Paul Peck Humanities Institute are pleased to announce this year's Humanities Leadership Award, Professor Joan Naake. Professor Naake has held every service position at the department and discipline levels, and serves the College community as coordinator of the Athenaeum Lecture Series. A celebration and presentation of the award was held on April 17, 2015.

• Download Professor Naake's presentation: Global Humanities: A Journey, by Professor Joan Naake (PDF, )

Dr. Lenneal Henderson Receives the 2013 GHI Humanities Leadership Award.

On Thursday, October 17, 2013, Dr. Lenneal Henderson was recognized for his outstanding work in bringing a humanistic methodology to his work in public administration and International relations. Presenting the award were Dr. Rita Kranidis, Director of the Global Humanities Institute, and Dr. Donald Pearl Vice President of Academic Affairs. Dr. Henderson is a model for how disciplines outside the humanities proper can employ a humanistic approach to addressing national and world problems, and thus closely matches the GHI’s mission to promote learning about the global issues as they impact human lives. “Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Henderson has been exemplary in making the crucial connections between political systems and the people who are affected them,” said Dr. Kranidis. “He asks the difficult questions about impacts on people’s lives, rejecting the models of disembodied and disengaged scholarship; he closes the loop of inquiry by inserting the human element that is often missing.” These attributes are evident in Dr. Henderson’s scholarship and national and international service.

Dr. Lenneal Henderson is currently Distinguished Professor of Government and Public Administration and Senior Fellow at the William Donald Schaefer Center for Public Policy and a Senior Fellow in the Hoffberger Center for Professional Ethics at the University of Baltimore, where he was formerly a Henry C. Welcome Fellow. His publications include the highly influential Black Political Life in the United States, and Administrative Advocacy: Black Administrators in Urban Bureaucracies, The New Black Politics: The Search for Political Power (Edited with Michael Preston and Paul Puryear), Public Administration and Public Policy: A Minority Perspective (with Lawrence Howard and Deryl Hunt) and, most recently, Dimensions of Learning: Education for Life (with Bernice D. Johnson, Debra Parker and Magnoria Lunsford). He has been awarded fellowships by: the Kellogg National Fellowship, Ford Foundation, National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship, the Fulbright Senior Specialist Fellowship for the Council on the International Exchange of Scholars, the U.S. Department of State, and a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration.

Dr. Henderson’s professional career has included distinguished work both within and beyond academia. He is the incoming chairperson of the Board of the Maryland Humanities Council and serves on the boards of LifeNet Health, Inc. in Virginia Beach, and the Environmental Action Foundation. He has served on the boards of the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture, the Baltimore Urban League, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and is a founding board member of the Reginald Lewis Maryland Museum of African American History and Culture. Dr. Henderson has won numerous awards and recognitions. Since 2000, they include his election as a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration (2005), the University System of Maryland Regents Faculty Award for Public Service (2006), the President’s Faculty Award at the University of Baltimore (2006) and the “Unsung Hero Award” from the Association of Fundraising Professionals nominated by the Maryland Humanities Council (2012)