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College of Arts and Humanities

2026 ARHU Commencement: Undergraduate Ceremony

We look forward to celebrating the important milestone of commencement with our graduates, their families and friends and our faculty and staff.

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History

Meet Environmental Historian Jayson Maurice Porter

The assistant professor of history reflects on his research, teaching and the CEDAR Gallery, a student-centered space he is developing at UMD.

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History

Rethinking the American Revolution as a Global Conflict

Professor of History Richard Bell’s new book reframes America’s founding conflict as a war fought across empires, oceans and everyday lives.

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What interests you?

learning about...

a career in...

Whatever your interests and aspirations, ARHU is committed to providing the knowledge, skills and opportunities all our students need to write their own stories and chart their own paths.

"In ARHU, you’re learning about how people interact with the world and each other. My goal is to build things that people are going to use. Just technology knowledge can only go so far. You have to understand how people are going to use them to be truly successful."

Ozzie Fallick '14, Software Engineer, Google
Linguistics

"Cross-cultural communication is one of the most important skills that I learned at ARHU, and I use it to engage and inform the community in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean about our events, exchanges and any other information that supports our key policy priorities in the region. ARHU gave me the tools to understand why in diplomacy, it’s as much about what you say as how you say it."

Krystle Norman '08, Foreign Service Officer, U.S. Department of State
Spanish and Portuguese

"I had always loved art, but I never knew you could make a career out of it until I studied abroad in Rome. There, I took a full course load of art courses and learned all about the factors of being an art professional. It was life-changing. Now I feel lucky that I’m doing something that I’m so passionate about."

Laura Sheridan Raiffe '09, Regional Account Manager, Christie's Fine Arts
Art History and Archaeology

"One of the most important things I got out of my ARHU experience is my ability to parse arguments, think critically and see multiple sides of an issue. Being in law school, it’s important to do that—it’s a skill I use every day. Not a class goes by, not a case gets read that this skill doesn’t come into play."

AJ Clayborne '13, Student, Harvard Law School
English

GRAND CHALLENGES

DEMAND FEARLESS IDEAS

The research and creative works of our faculty, students and alumni are setting the agenda for transformative dialogue about the value of the arts and the humanities in the world today.

Research Highlights

New Scholarship from The College of Arts and Humanities

Explore Our Research

Happening at ARHU

In the most common retelling, the American Revolution ended in 1781 at Yorktown, where combined American and French forces, led by George Washington, trapped and forced the surrender of British General Cornwallis’ army. But in fact, the war’s final battle was fought thousands of miles away—in southern India, in 1783. Due to slow communication, French forces and their Indian allies were unaware that the preliminary peace treaty had already been signed in Paris. It’s a detail that upends the familiar rebels-versus-redcoats story. And for Richard Bell, professor of history, it’s a doorway into a significant argument: America’s founding fight was a world war in all but name, entangling empires, reshaping trade routes and displacing people across the Atlantic world and beyond. That’s the topic of his new book, “The American Revolution and the Fate of the World,” published in November by Penguin Random House. The book was recently named the 2025 @journaloftheamericanrevolution Book of the Year. Read our conversation with Bell at the link in our bio.
Love songs can encapsulate the sweetness and joy, as well the complexity and heartbreak that sometimes accompany romantic relationships. This Valentine’s Day, Dean Stephanie Shonekan, host of the NPR podcast “Cover Story,” shares her favorite love songs, along with their covers! She invites you to weigh in - Which version wins your heart — the original or the cover? Comment the number below and tell us your pick. We also invite you to share your favorites in the comments! “I Believe in You and Me” — Four Tops / Whitney Houston “Emotions” — Bee Gees / Destiny’s Child “Lately” — Stevie Wonder / Jodeci “I Will Always Love You” — Dolly Parton / Whitney Houston “The Way We Were” — Barbra Streisand / Gladys Knight “Superstar” — Carpenters / Luther Vandross “Nothing Compares 2 U” — Prince / Sinéad O’Connor “Lady” — Lionel Richie / Kenny Rogers “Hello” — Joe / Adele “Killing Me Softly” — Roberta Flack / Fugees “Unforgettable” — Nat King Cole / Natalie Cole Listen to the full Valentine’s playlist on Spotify at the link in our profile and follow Cover Story with Stephanie Shonekan to dig into the stories, meanings and histories behind our most classic songs.
Meet Jayson Maurice Porter, an assistant professor of history whose research spans the environmental histories of Mexico and the African Diaspora, food systems, agrochemicals, and environmental justice and injustice. He’s also launching @cedargalleryumd , a new faculty- and student-led space for environmental learning, art and community. In a new Q&A, Porter shares his research, his approach to teaching environmental justice, and his vision for a student-centered space for learning, creativity and care. Link in bio. 📷 by Taneen Momeni

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