Washington, DC (March 14, 2006) – Congressman Rubén Hinojosa (TX-15) today announced that The University of Texas – Pan American has received a $75,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The grant will be used to fund a project, “Humanities Perspectives on Latin American Thought and Philosophy,” which will create collaborative faculty workshops to be directed by outside scholars on the contributions of humanities disciplines to Latin American philosophy.
“South Texas is steeped with a rich cultural history – from music to painting to literature and dance,” said Hinojosa. “Creativity is inspired by collaboration, and providing faculty with opportunities to learn more about the rich history of our community will ultimately benefit future generations. I congratulate UTPA on this award.”
The grant is part of NEH’s Humanities Initiatives for Faculty, which are intended to strengthen and enrich humanities education and scholarship at the three types of Presidentially-designated institutions: Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and Tribal Colleges and Universities.
Humanities Initiatives for Faculty may:
• Create opportunities for faculty members to study together while improving their capacity to teach the humanities;
• Support collaborative work among faculty members to devise ways for strengthening humanities programs;
• Fund visiting scholars to help improve or redefine an institution's humanities programs;
• Help faculty develop new humanities programs or take advantage of underused humanities resources;
• Train staff and faculty members in the use of humanities materials and technologies; or
• Build ties among faculty at more than one institution of higher learning, among college teachers and secondary school teachers, or among faculty members at institutions of higher learning and their colleagues in museums, libraries, or other organizations such as historical and cultural societies.
The NEH is an independent federal agency created in 1965. It is the largest funder of humanities programs in the United States. NEH grants typically go to cultural institutions, such as museums, archives, libraries, colleges, universities, public television, and radio stations, and to individual scholars. The grants:
• Strengthen teaching and learning in the humanities in schools and colleges across the nation
• Facilitate research and original scholarship
• Provide opportunities for lifelong learning
• Preserve and provide access to cultural and educational resources
• Strengthen the institutional base of the humanities