English Faculty Member Selected as a National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Scholar

Dr. Black to study and collaborate with humanities experts

Dr. Christopher Allan Black, a member of the American Literature faculty and an Instructor in the Core Literature and First Year Composition programs at the University of Memphis, has been selected as a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Summer Scholar from a national applicant pool to attend “Transcendentalism and Social Reform: Activism and Community Engagement in the Age of Thoreau.” This workshop will be held from June 26-July 9, 2022, in Concord, Massachusetts. 

The NEH is a federal agency that, each summer, supports these enrichment opportunities at colleges, universities, and cultural institutions, so that faculty can work in collaboration and study with experts in humanities disciplines. The 25 teachers selected to participate in the program each receive a stipend of $2,200 to cover their travel, study, and living expenses.

During the workshop experience, Black will participate in seminars and round tables with prominent scholars, tour historic sites and homes, conduct research in prestigious archives, collaborate with fellow instructors on teaching and research projects, and attend the Thoreau Prize ceremony honoring Dr. Jane Goodall. 

The workshop will be directed by Dr. Sandra Harbert Petrulionis, Distinguished Professor of English and American Studies at Penn State Altoona, and administered by Mr. Michael Frederick, Executive Director of The Thoreau Society. 

For more information on his appointment or the program, contact Black at cablack2@memphis.edu.