Deborah Whaley and Terence Blanchard discuss the relationship between art and spirituality, how the acts of fighting for social justice and creating music are one and the same, and what a life in the arts has taught him about what art can and should do.

American Studies PhD Candidate Katie Walden was recently invited to speak at the James Madison Council (the Library of Congress' first private-sector advisory council) fall meeting. The Council funds the Junior Fellows program, which she participated in this past summer.

American studies associate professor Nick Yablon was interviewed about the time capsule sealed in the cornerstone at Bloomingdale's in New York City.

The University of Iowa Libraries’ Digital Scholarship & Publishing Studio has appointed Deborah Elizabeth Whaley as the Studio’s senior scholar. Serving as the Studio’s faculty liaison to campus, Whaley will aid the UI Libraries’ efforts to foster collaborations with UI faculty, students, and staff who produce or engage with digital scholarship, research, and new media pedagogy. As the Studio’s senior scholar, Whaley brings skill in imagining new futures for the digital humanities.

Deborah Whaley, UI Professor of American Studies and African American Studies, and Miriam Gilbert, UI Professor of English (Emerita), were joined in conversation by Megan Gogerty, UI Theatre Arts lecturer, who wrote and starred in the play. The three discussed the use of Shakespeare in the play and being a woman in a male-dominated field. This event was the third in a series of Obermann-sponsored talkbacks during Riverside Theatre’s 2016-17 season.

American Studies associate professor Deborah Whaley was recently interviewed by Matthew Teutsch for The African American Intellectual History Society's Blog.

Prof. Deborah Whaley gave a keynote talk and book signing on February 9th at St. Ambrose University, with Sarah Eikleberry, our graduate alum and now an Assistant Professor at St. Ambrose.

American Studies and GWSS Professor Susan Birrell has received the 2016 Recognition Award (Service to Sport History) from the North American Society for Sport History. The award recognizes “exceptional contributions to the Study of Sport History.” The award was presented at the organization’s annual conference in Atlanta, Ga. on May 31.

The Graduate College held it's spring 2016 commencement ceremony on Friday, May 15. At that time, four American studies/Health & Sport Studies students were hooded, and one American Studies student received her MA.

Congratulations to our American studies and Health and Sport Studies students for a very productive year!