Dean’s message fall 2026

Dear Alumni and Friends,

It is my pleasure to update you on the latest from the Division of the Arts & Humanities and the exceptional work of our students, faculty, and graduates. I am proud that the University of Chicago remains a leading light for graduate education in the humanities and arts, with few peers who can match the breadth of our faculty’s expertise and the impact of their research, or the reach of our practicing artists. This prominence is in large part due to the generosity of our donors, whose recent philanthropic investments—more than $80 million since the start of the Chicago Minds campaign—are a testament to an enduring belief in the importance of doctoral training in the arts and in advancing humanistic knowledge.

A third of the gifts we’ve received support our faculty members, who are indispensable to our success, funding their projects as well as recruiting, hiring, and retaining them. Notable examples include the newly established Mouly Carlson Chair in Media, Arts, and Design, featured in this issue; the Afzal and Shireen Ahmad Visiting Professorship in South Asian Art and Media, which will welcome its inaugural scholar in spring 2027; and the Faculty Advancement Fund. We are investing in our interdisciplinary centers, programs, and scholarship across the division—including Jewish studies, translation, and arts programming for public audiences—while also supporting our graduate students through internships, fellowships, and essential resources to facilitate travel, research, and creative projects.

This deepened investment in our graduate students is happening alongside big-picture strategies aimed at redefining MA and PhD programs in the arts and humanities, in collaboration with leading organizations such as the American Council of Learned Societies. On campus, these conversations have been catalyzed by the MacArthur Foundation’s grant to the Neubauer Collegium for Culture and Society to launch the Future of the Humanities initiative, which provides seed funding for projects that propose imaginative, forward-thinking ideas for the creation and dissemination of art and scholarship. The advanced study of humanistic fields is at a pivotal moment, and it is thrilling that UChicago is so central to these complex and necessary discussions.

The creativity and innovation of our faculty, students, and alumni are on full display in this issue of Tableau. Read a philosopher and a literary scholar each contemplating the concept of consciousness, learn about our new major in Cognitive Science, and discover a multidisciplinary, genre-defying theatrical collaboration. Hear from our alumni, discussing the nuances of tonal languages and the value a humanities degree brings to a career in the federal government. Meet the nine assistant professors joining our faculty, and enjoy an excerpt from a scholarly book about gesture that resonates with general readers.

There are exciting things on the horizon, so check artshumanities.uchicago.edu for the latest news and for updates about our public events. With over a dozen academic units and a wealth of interdisciplinary programs, the division always offers something new to provoke or satisfy your curiosity.

Deborah L. Nelson
Dean, Division of the Arts & Humanities
Helen B. and Frank L. Sulzberger Professor, Department of English Language and Literature