Dee Grant Awards Support Eight Humanities Proposals for Teaching Innovation

Eight faculty proposals in the College of Humanities have been awarded Dee Grants to pursue teaching projects that will advance student learning during the 2026-2027 academic year. The grants, awarded by the Council of Dee Fellows, are intended to “infuse new energy and teaching techniques into the educational experience at the University.” 

Read on to find out how Dee Grants are supporting innovative teaching throughout the college! 

Hugh Cagle (History) and Alejo Stark (World Languages & Cultures)

Hugh Cagle, associate professor of history, will be collaborating with co-principal investigator (PI) Alejo Stark, assistant professor of world languages & cultures, to develop a suite of resources around the topic of PlanetarySTS, bringing together global cultural and historical studies with science and technology studies to advance learning opportunities for students. This will include a series of lectures for students, workshops for faculty, a shared bank of skill-building assignments, and culminate in the development of two new interdisciplinary courses to be added to the catalog. 

Matt Haber, Philosophy 

Matt Haber, associate professor of philosophy, will be working on a project titled “Expanding Logic Accessibility,” aimed at teaching formal deductive logic to visually impaired and blind students. The project, which will be carried out in conjunction with high-performing logic students, will develop new instruction tools that rely on tactile rather than visual symbols. 

Anne Lair, Natalya Kuznetsova, and Anna Murta Hodgson, World Languages & Cultures

Anne Lair, professor (lecturer) of French and French Bridge Curriculum Director and State Coordinator, will be working with co-PIs Natalya Kuznetsova, assistant professor (lecturer) of Russian and Anna Murta Hodgson, assistant professor (lecturer) of Portuguese on a project called “The Olympics in the Curriculum: Fostering Intercultural Competence.” Through the scaffolding of international sport, the project aims to support language faculty’s professional development with a series of workshops, a public lecture, and a curated library of resources for teaching intercultural competence through language instruction. 

Melissa Parks, Communication/Environmental Humanities 

Melissa Parks, assistant professor (lecturer) of communication and environmental humanities will be working on a project titled “Ecological Grief–Ecological Joy: Environmental Humanities Field Study.” With support from the Dee Grant, Parks will be able to expand the class cap for graduate students enrolled in EHUM 6900 Field Study, allowing an additional eight students to benefit from place-based pedagogy at the Bonderman Field Station at Rio Mesa while collaborating on an interdisciplinary collection of student-produced literature. 

Paul S. Rose, Communication  

“Paul S. Rose, professor (lecturer) emeritus of communication, created a humanitarian dental project, Davao Smiles, in 2024. The project will run again this fall and students in his video class will produce a documentary about it. The first iteration of the project resulted in a documentary that has been entered into several film festivals, including Cannes. The sequel will provide an immersive learning experience for students to work with an international team documenting a humanitarian project in the Philippines in more remote locations.   

Christie Toth, Writing & Rhetoric Studies 

Christie Toth, associate professor of writing & rhetoric studies, will be co-facilitating the Salt Lake MLA Institute on Reading & Writing Pedagogies at Access-Oriented Institutions, an award-winning professional development symposium for graduate students and early-career faculty in the humanities. This immersive, credit-bearing program allows graduate students to learn from experts as they develop Pedagogical Inquiry Projects that they in turn carry with them to their teaching work.  

Sara Yeo (Communication), Natasha Seegert (Communication), Scott Black (English), Lynne Zummo (Educational Psychology), and Eric Handman (Dance)

Sara Yeo, professor of communication, along with Natasha Seegert, associate professor (lecturer) of communication, Scott Black, professor of English, Lynne Zummo, assistant professor of educational psychology, and Eric Handman, associate professor of dance, will be developing and testing a teaching intervention to cultivate curiosity within humanities and fine arts students in the classroom and studio. The team anticipates that the modules for this intervention will help develop a curious mindset among students, increasing student engagement and capacity for respectful dialogue during challenging discussions. The project will lead to a two-day symposium on campus for faculty across the university to consider the restorative effects of curiosity.    

Marcie Young Cancio, Communication  

Marcie Young Cancio, clinical associate professor of communication, will provide innovative learning spaces through Amplify Utah, a nonprofit newsroom for students featuring sustained professional mentorship from Utah journalists and photographers. Up to 100 students gain professional practice in journalism through courses such as Journalism Writing and Reporting, Intermediate Journalism, Voices of Utah, and Community Storytelling, as well as through projects like the Utah College Media Collaborative and the Photo Lab.

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Faculty in Humanities and Fine Arts who are interested in learning more about Dee Grants are welcome to attend the upcoming reception on Thursday, March 26th from 4:30pm to 6:30pm in the Cleone Peterson Eccles Alumni House. Learn about the grant application process, meet the fellows comprising the Dee Council, and celebrate last year’s award-winning projects! RSVPs and accommodation requests can be directed to John Boyack at john.boyack@utah.edu or 801-587-7351.