Miami University's Humanities Center highlighted through the Altman Program
Program will host numerous speakers throughout the academic year, including former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
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Kristin Hoganson, professor of History at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne, was the first speaker for this year's Altman Program.
Miami University's Humanities Center highlighted through the Altman Program
•
Published
The Altman Program has been a signature program of Miami University's Humanities Center since 2009. The goal of the Altman Program is to foster connections across departments, teach innovation, and bring about new research.
“This program is a place where the humanities can be visible and make the case for their continued importance,” said Ron Becker, the acting director of the Humanities Center.
The program is composed of faculty fellows, two graduate fellows, and eight undergraduate Geoffrion Family fellows. It is designed to have a new theme each school year that relates to a humanities topic. The theme is decided by the Humanities Center Steering Committee from applications submitted by faculty members interested in being a fellow.
The theme of the 2025-2026 school year covers the Midwest. The Midwest of the United States is often stereotyped as simple, rural, and old-fashioned. The goal of this year's theme is to answer the big questions of: Is the Midwest a real place or is it a political fiction? How has the Midwest been represented in art, history, and public culture? How does the current representation of the Midwest affect the demographic, social, economic, and other dimensions of life in this region?
The Altman Program will host eight different speakers in the 2025-2026 school year, beginning with Kristin Hoganson, professor of History at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne, who spoke on Sept. 16. The next upcoming speaker will be Edward Curtis, professor of World Languages and Cultures, and Director of Arabic and Islamic Studies at Indiana University, Oct. 7 in Heritage Room, Shriver Center.
Tom Vilsack, the former governor of Iowa and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, is also scheduled to speak at Miami as part of the series on Feb. 3 in Wilks Theater in the Armstrong Student Center. Vilsack will speak about an entrepreneurial vision to revitalize our midweek rural economy about how it can only be “get big or get out.”
“The researchers, writers, and leaders who will be on campus this year will help us better understand the complexity of the Midwest and the importance of thinking about the Midwest’s role in the United States' idea of itself as a country,” Becker said.
More about the upcoming Altman Program speakers is available online.
“This program is a place where the humanities can be visible and make the case for their continued importance,” said Ron Becker, the acting director of the Humanities Center.
The program is composed of faculty fellows, two graduate fellows, and eight undergraduate Geoffrion Family fellows. It is designed to have a new theme each school year that relates to a humanities topic. The theme is decided by the Humanities Center Steering Committee from applications submitted by faculty members interested in being a fellow.
The theme of the 2025-2026 school year covers the Midwest. The Midwest of the United States is often stereotyped as simple, rural, and old-fashioned. The goal of this year's theme is to answer the big questions of: Is the Midwest a real place or is it a political fiction? How has the Midwest been represented in art, history, and public culture? How does the current representation of the Midwest affect the demographic, social, economic, and other dimensions of life in this region?
The Altman Program will host eight different speakers in the 2025-2026 school year, beginning with Kristin Hoganson, professor of History at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne, who spoke on Sept. 16. The next upcoming speaker will be Edward Curtis, professor of World Languages and Cultures, and Director of Arabic and Islamic Studies at Indiana University, Oct. 7 in Heritage Room, Shriver Center.
Tom Vilsack, the former governor of Iowa and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, is also scheduled to speak at Miami as part of the series on Feb. 3 in Wilks Theater in the Armstrong Student Center. Vilsack will speak about an entrepreneurial vision to revitalize our midweek rural economy about how it can only be “get big or get out.”
“The researchers, writers, and leaders who will be on campus this year will help us better understand the complexity of the Midwest and the importance of thinking about the Midwest’s role in the United States' idea of itself as a country,” Becker said.
More about the upcoming Altman Program speakers is available online.
Established in 1809, Miami University is located in Oxford, Ohio, with regional campuses in Hamilton and Middletown, a learning center in West Chester, and a European study center in Luxembourg. Interested in learning more about the Altman Program? Visit the website for more information.
