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Explore ARHU on Maryland Day 2026

Celebrate Maryland Day with the arts and humanities on Saturday, April 25.

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Philosophy

How a Philosophy, Politics and Economics Major Helped Shape a Policy Brief for Congress

Senior Liam Little ’26 has used the interdisciplinary PPE major to explore global issues, conduct research and gain hands-on experience in diplomacy and policy.

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American Studies, Art, Art History and Archaeology, Classics, College of Arts and Humanities, Communication, English, History, Joseph and Rebecca Meyerhoff Program and Center for Jewish Studies, Linguistics, Philosophy, School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, School of Music, School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies, The Harriet Tubman Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

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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Arts for All, College of Arts and Humanities, School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies

Heart of the Tiger: From UMD to Broadway and Back

Betsy Rosen ’06 reflects on her journey from her childhood puppetry influences to playing the fierce tiger Richard Parker in Broadway’s “Life of Pi.”

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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 one University of Maryland classroom, students are considering whether artificial intelligence can be creative. In another discussion, they’re grappling with a different question: if AI replaces human work, what gives life meaning? These are the kinds of deep and thoughtful debates that animate “AI and the Human Experience,” a philosophy course where students from across disciplines come together to examine AI as a force both shaping and reshaping human life. The course introduces students to the applications and ethics of AI, from recommender systems and facial recognition to questions of creativity, justice and well-being. Taught in recent semesters by Professor of Philosophy Fabrizio Cariani, the course is one of many across the College of Arts and Humanities—spanning departments from communication to women, gender and sexuality studies to linguistics—exploring the broad implications of AI and the kind of world these systems are helping to build. Cariani, who also chairs the Department of Philosophy, studies questions of meaning, uncertainty and human decision-making. We spoke with him about what it means to study AI from a humanities perspective and why students are increasingly drawn to these questions now. Read the story at the link in our bio. Artwork by Olivia King ’26
How does working at UMD provide meaning and purpose? What can we learn from colleagues who have dedicated decades to their work in the College of Arts and Humanities? More than 100 staff with diverse roles throughout the UMD College of Arts and Humanities were invited by Dean Stephanie Shonekan for a staff appreciation breakfast and awards ceremony with the theme of “meaningful futures.” Six staff retiring from their roles in ARHU this year reflected on their experiences at the university over several decades and shared heartwarming and funny stories, along with some advice. They included: • Bill Brandwein, Operations & Facilities Manager, The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center • Tim Jones, Prop Shop Manager, The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center • Jeannette Oliver, Business Manager, School of Music • Lori Owen, Director of Facilities, ARHU • Julie Wright, Assistant Dean for Finance and Administration, ARHU • Jon Boone, Assistant Director, Academic Computing Services, ARHU Among their bits of advice: Be upbeat! Find your peeps! Explore and take advantage of the benefits! Remember that students are central to our mission! Several staff were also recognized for their years of service to the university. Photos: 1) Tim Jones, Jeannette Oliver, Bill Brandwein, ARHU Dean Stephanie Shonekan, Jon Boone and Lori Owen 2) Bill Brandwein, Tim Jones, Jeannette Oliver, Lori Owen, Julie Wright and Jon Boone received framed photos of campus scenes taken by Nat Kuhn, Assistant Director of Academic Computing Services in ARHU. Dean Shonekan standing behind Tim. 3) ARHU staff recognized for their years of service 📸Photos by Nat Kuhn
The Ethics and Governance of Climate Intervention SHOULD WE RULE OUT GEOENGINEERING? THE SCHLARETZKI LECTURE 2026 Friday, April 17, 5 p.m. Thurgood Marshall Hall, 0301 Featuring Anna Stilz, Professor of Political Science at UC-Berkeley Geoengineering” refers to the deliberate large-scale manipulation of the planetary environment to counteract climate change. Should environmentalists support a large-scale, publicly funded research program in geoengineering? Or should they instead support a moratorium of geoengineering research and deployment? The Department of Philosophy expresses its appreciation for the generous support provided by the W. Ernest and Eleanor C. Schlaretzki Pedagogy Fund, which makes this biennial lecture possible.

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