PITTSBURGH, Dec. 19, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --
Technology is rapidly changing teaching and research in the
humanities. Computational methods are enabling research that was
impossible to envision a few years ago, such as using big data to
analyze and improve human rights and re-creating early social
networks to understand how ideas and knowledge spread. Educators
also are developing and using technology to improve student
engagement and learning.
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded Carnegie Mellon University a five-year,
$2 million grant to use
technology-enhanced learning (TEL) to transform and enhance
graduate education in the humanities. With a well-established
legacy of pioneering TEL and through its Simon Initiative, a
strategic, university-wide commitment to use TEL to improve
learning outcomes for all students, Carnegie
Mellon is uniquely positioned to advance digital scholarship
and TEL in the humanities.
"The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation cares deeply about the future
of the humanities, and they realize that one way to keep the
humanities vital is to bring them into contact with the digital
tools being developed in other disciplines. As CMU is a leader in
most things digital, and certainly a leader in technology-enhanced
learning, we are a natural partner," said Richard Scheines, dean of the Dietrich College
of Humanities and Social Sciences.
"Although we already have a number of faculty in humanities
doing groundbreaking work in digital humanities and in
technology-enhanced learning, this grant will allow us to change
the culture for 'all' of our humanities Ph.D. students and faculty.
We are very excited to get started, and very grateful to the
foundation for its support," Scheines said.
The new grant will primarily involve the Dietrich College's
English, History, Modern Languages and Philosophy departments. All
humanities Ph.D. students and interested faculty will be trained to
take advantage of the benefits technology offers through week-long,
intensive summer courses aimed at providing basic literacy. Support
personnel will assist in developing and offering these courses and
in consulting with faculty and students who have a deeper interest.
Fellowships will be available to Ph.D. students who wish to pursue
a thesis that centrally involves digital humanities or TEL. The
impact of the weeklong summer courses will go beyond CMU; the TEL
and digital humanities courses will be available to anyone through
online modules.
For more information on the strength of Carnegie Mellon's humanities, visit
http://www.cmu.edu/dietrich/humanities.
About Carnegie Mellon
University: Carnegie Mellon
(www.cmu.edu) is a private, internationally ranked research
university with programs in areas ranging from science, technology
and business, to public policy, the humanities and the arts. More
than 12,000 students in the university's seven schools and colleges
benefit from a small student-to-faculty ratio and an education
characterized by its focus on creating and implementing solutions
for real problems, interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation.
A global university, Carnegie Mellon
has campuses in Pittsburgh, Pa.,
California's Silicon Valley and
Qatar, and programs in
Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and Mexico.
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20020422/CMULOGO
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/andrew-w-mellon-foundation-grants-carnegie-mellon-2-million-to-transform-graduate-education-in-humanities-300012585.html
SOURCE Carnegie Mellon
University