Dr. Blair LM Kelly was installed as the seventh president and director of the National Humanities Center (NHC), located in Durham, North Carolina, in March of 2026. A distinguished scholar and leader, she served as the Joel R. Williamson Distinguished Professor of Southern Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was also director of the Center for the Study of the American South and co-director of Southern Futures.
Kelly addressed the NHC community at the installation with inspiring remarks. The installation also featured a series of panels highlighting the ways scholars, educators, and the next generation of humanists are responding to the challenges they face. You may view panels from the installation as well as photos from the celebration by clicking here.
The National Humanities Center also announced the incoming class of Summer Residents who were selected after a competitive review of applicants. Forty scholars were selected for the 2026 Select Summer Residency Program, including two from CHSS. The College of Humanities and Social Sciences would like to congratulate Tamara Harvey and Jacqueline M. Burek from the Department of English for being selected for the 2026 National Humanities Center four-week summer residency program this June. The summer residents will experience a concentrated period of supported research and intellectual exchange at the Center that is customized for humanities research and writing.