GLS eNews May 9, 2024
Letter from the Director
Hi GLS Community—
Here we are at the end of what has been a great year for GLS, especially with our curricular focus this year on our environment, our land, and the intersections of our human and non-human worlds.
The year culminated a couple of weeks ago with the “Hidden Histories” trip that seven of your colleagues organized for 15 of us to explore several historical sites on the fragile and fast-changing North Carolina coast. There we contemplated, on the ground, the layers of history present on every landscape, and the stories told and silenced. We also marveled at a gorgeous sunset over Jockey’s Ridge -- huge sand dune protected from private development largely through the efforts of one determined advocate. And we spent good, needed time just getting to know each other.
The experience is everything I hope that Duke GLS can be for everyone involved – a place to fan sparks of interest into multiple flames, to follow questions where they lead, to grow, to learn that one can direct one’s own learning, and to understand that there are many ways and places to learn. It is also a place to imagine and build community through empathy, mutual support, authentic engagement, and shared experiences of growth. I was so proud of the seven Hidden Histories organizers; they exemplify the smarts, initiative, serious engagement with the world, and generosity at the core of GLS.
The Hidden Histories organizers are just a few of those presenting their work from the year at our annual Student Showcase, set for tonight from 6-8 pm in the East Duke Parlors. Even if you forgot to RSVP, please join us for this conversation. And on Saturday, May 11, at our GLS Hooding, we will celebrate the 23 students who have completed their GLS journeys since summer of 2023. My regalia is out and ready to go!
After that, some of you will embark on summer courses – with Dr. Saskia Cornes on facing the climate crisis and Dr. Lauren Sanford on touching the art! We are really pleased to welcome these two new instructors to our GLS roster. (It’s not too late to sign up for a summer class, including the Graduate Academy course I’m teaching in July on race and place through southern historic sites!)
Early in the summer, I look forward to some time spent traveling to several places that are meaningful to me, including Birmingham, Alabama, where my beloved undergraduate liberal arts alma mater, Birmingham-Southern College, will close its doors on May 31 after 168 years. The closure makes me all the more aware of how fortunate we are to be able to nurture such a space as GLS within the major research university that is Duke.
I send you all my warmest wishes for time this summer to do things that are meaningful to you with people you care about. Your GLS staff will spend summer – as we usually do – planning for the program’s future and preparing to welcome an interesting new class of incoming students in August. We will remain available to you throughout the summer – just an email away at any time.
Thank you all for making GLS a wonderful place to work and learn,
Anne
NEW Summer Courses
*NEW*
Life's Work: Being with More-Than-Human Worlds
Tuesdays, 5:00-7:30 PM (with site time at Duke Campus Farm)
This new environmental humanities seminar posits that we might start with understanding the cultural legacies of local landscapes, and by learning to read landscapes themselves. We will read works of literature and criticism with a focus on the American South. No prior farm experience is required or expected, but participants must be comfortable being and learning outside.
*NEW*
Please Touch the Art: A Hands-On Approach to Art
Wednesdays, 6:00-8:30 PM
Exploring Race & History Through Southern Historic Places
July 15 - 26, MTWTh, 3:30-4:35 PM
Anne Mitchell Whisnant
*No cost, no prerequisites, included on transcript
Upcoming Events
GLS is proud to celebrate this year's graduating class. Stay updated on commencement events and celebrate our GLS Student Showcase on the GLS2024 website. Congratulations graduates!
TONIGHT!: GLS Student Showcase
Thursday, May 9, 6:00-8:00 PM, East Duke Parlors
GLS Hooding & Graduation Ceremony
Saturday, May 11, 1:30-3:30 PM, JB Duke Hotel Ballroom
If you have questions, please email malina.chavez@duke.edu.
NEW Fall Courses
ALL NEW FALL COURSES!
Dean Bruno
AI and the Future of Human History
Amanda Starling Gould
Trailblazers and Disruptors: From Ideas to Game Changers
Visiting FHI Professor, Pikuei Tu
Opportunities
Thursdays, 11 AM - 2 PM, through October
Find your perfect summer opportunity!
Call for Proposals
CAMPINGCON 2024: Wilderness and the Historian
Deadline, June 1, 2024
Important Dates
For important Duke Registrar dates, see the Current Academic Calendar.
Events Across Campus
Check out the links below for events happening across Duke.
Franklin Humanities Institute (FHI)
Department of African & African-American Studies (AAAS)
Department of Art, Art History & Visual Studies (AAHVS)
Department of Asian & Middle Eastern Studies (AMES)
Department of Gender, Sexuality & Feminists Studies
Department of International Comparative Studies (ICS)
Student Resources
- The Graduate Writing Lab offers regular accountability and catered feedback. Spring 2024: Tuesdays, 1-4 pm (Bivens 207) and Thursdays, 1-4 pm (Perkins 219) Zoom option available
- The Duke Career Hub offers career support, content, and resources.
- The Duke International Student Center is a home away from home for international students
- New resource for reporting Harassment, Discrimination, and other concerns: An Interactive Guide for Graduate School Students
- Graduate School-specific COVID-19 updates are posted here
- Duke F1RSTS is a network of first-generation graduate and professional students at Duke
- DukeLine is now open! DukeLine is a peer-led resource for support and referral, created by Duke students and a team of mental health professionals and community leaders. Connect with a coach today!
If you have news, opportunities, events, or other resources that you would like to include in the GLS Update, please email malina.chavez@duke.edu.
Call 919-684-3222 or email us at dukegls@duke.edu.