Executive Director, MHWPC
Visiting Lecturer, Department of English
Email: hmancuso@framingham.edu Research/Teaching/Professional Interests First-year writing; professional writing; fiction writing; public relations and corporate communications; career mentoring; first-year college experience. Why humanities? Humanities, in its purest form, is about looking at what makes us human and what we create as humans. Studying and learning about that is powerful! It helps people become global citizens, not just national citizens. Now more than ever, we need more people who can think critically and handle multiple perspectives—people who have not just a tolerance, but also a true appreciation, for diverse perspectives and worldviews.
Assistant Director, MHWPC
Professor, Department of English
Email: dmccarthy@framingham.edu Research/Teaching/Professional Interests Modern and contemporary American fiction; American ethnic literature; journalism. Why humanities? The humanities are more essential than ever. The abilities to locate and then evaluate relevant information, communicate clearly and effectively, and work collaboratively are required in nearly every line of work in our knowledge-based economy. The imagination, creativity, and empathy humanities graduates bring not only to the workplace, but also to our nation's civic and political life, are just as invaluable.
Dean, College of Arts and Humanities
Professor, Department of Art and Music
Email: mcote@framingham.edu Research/Professional/Teaching Interests Arts administration; studio art; printmaking, illustration, and foundation studies. Why humanities? The humanities encourage us to investigate those problems that offer no clear, formulaic answers. Deep reading skills and a penchant for thought-provoking original interpretation characterize study in humanities disciplines. Humanities students nimbly engage in expansive cross-disciplinary project work, while also developing informed multi-layered cultural literacy in the global environment.
Inaugural Faculty Fellow, MHWPC
Assistant Professor, Department of English
Email: ccoyne1@framingham.edu Research/Teaching/Professional Interests Professional writing; community-based learning and engagement; English internship coordination. Why humanities? During their time at FSU, our humanities students develop crucial skills for the twenty-first-century workforce, including creativity, problem-solving, and empathy. They’re also confident learners who rise to challenges and can adapt to a variety of professional settings. I love helping students think about the significant academic, professional, and personal experiences that have shaped their career goals, and how to effectively communicate their diverse capabilities to potential employers.
Assistant Professor of Spanish and Portuguese
Department of World Languages
Email: evargasdacosta@framingham.edu Research/Teaching/Professional Interests Language teacher education; community engagement and project-based pedagogy; Portuguese, Spanish, and linguistics. Why humanities? Humanities majors have the ability to communicate and establish connections with people. They understand people’s minds, cultures, and history, and do full-strength critical thinking. All of these things are essential job skills.
Director
Career Services and Employer Relations
Email: rdavino@framingham.edu Research/Teaching/Professional Interests Career education and development, experiential learning in multiple forms (internships, project-based learning, micro-internships, short-term gigs). Why humanities? Students that study the humanities are continually building career skills that employers are seeking. Employers hope and expect that you'll be able to think critically and solve problems, communicate effectively orally and in writing, work in teams, and have global and intercultural awareness. These are the skills you're gaining by being engaged in the humanities.
Professor
Department of Communication, Media, and Performance
Email: akali@framingham.edu Research/Teaching/Professional Interests Rhetoric and argumentation; visual rhetoric; animal studies. Why humanities? When you study the humanities, you explore human values, personal meaning, and creative expression. An understanding of the nuances of language, the versatility of the arts, the footprints of history, and the challenges of critical thinking are vital to living beyond the narrow constrictions of one’s own personal space. We are only human to the extent that we can make bridges between the solitude of our minds and our interactions with others.
Assistant Professor of Art History
Department of Art and Music
Email: ypark@framingham.edu Research/Teaching/Professional Interests Ancient American art; multidisciplinary studies; art history. Why humanities? The humanities serve as a foundation for all other disciplines, helping students develop creative and analytic thinking alongside communication skills that will help them in any field of study or work. Humanities disciplines emphasize the ability to see issues both as a whole and as parts, revealing the importance of approaching a topic from diverse perspectives to gain complete understanding. Varied training in humanities fields encourages students to find the empathy and ethics that will enable them to become leaders in society.
Professor
Department of History
Email: bsheridan@framingham.edu Research/Teaching/Professional Interests European history, gender history, history of science, history of sexuality, and history of France. Why humanities? I gained an appreciation for the humanities as an undergraduate student, majoring in zoology. The first history course I took at the college level opened my eyes to the importance of a humanistic approach to science—so much so, I ended up earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Zoology. Since then, I've been a passionate advocate for a liberal arts education as a way to help students become the well-rounded, critical, empathic, and compassionate thinkers that are necessary in today's world.