Research Clusters aim to foster a range of new ideas in multi-disciplinary setting, wherever they might be taking shape. Identifying fields and research questions that do not belong to a particular department, research clusters encourage new groupings that may grow into longer-term partnerships or provide briefer bursts of inspiration and pollination. Research clusters are less formalized groups of faculty and graduate students within the School of Humanities that may also include faculty and graduate students from other Schools.

The Humanities Center provides program funds to support activities that incubate new research collaborations, foster new faculty research trajectories, and develop project ideas for implementation.

2025-2026 Research Clusters

pastels drawing of nintendo game box on LGBTQ+ flag
Approaches to Queer Media

Graduate Student Directors: Brandon Blackburn, Film & Media Studies;  Changie Chang, Film & Media Studies

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Faculty Director: Jon Pitt, East Asian Studies

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Faculty Director: Christopher T. Fan, English

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Global South Critique

Graduate Student Directors: Benjamin Connor, Comparative Literature and Maryam Salehi, Comparative Literature

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Faculty Director:  Rocío Pichon-Rivière, Spanish & Portuguese

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Faculty Directors: Christofer Rodelo, Chicano/Latino Studies; Valentina Montero Román, English

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Faculty Director: Daniel M. Gross, English