The American Council of Learned Societies announced this week that the University of Iowa has joined the ACLS Research University Consortium, a select group of eminent institutions that play an essential leadership role in supporting the national infrastructure of humanities research.

"At a pivotal moment in its history of writing, creative arts, and humanistic inquiry, we are thrilled that Iowa will join the American Council of Learned Societies," said Roland Racevskis, associate dean for arts and humanities in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Associate Vice President for Research Kristy Nabhan-Warren agreed, adding, "the consortium membership solidifies our university’s commitment to the humanities as a part of our broad and publicly engaged research mission, and Roland and I are delighted that Iowa is embarking on this partnership with ACLS and its member institutions, and that the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Office of the Vice President for Research will build on our partnership.”

Member institutions provide support to the ACLS that is used to sponsor fellowships awarded to scholars annually. Additionally, representatives of member institutions meet regularly, providing crucial opportunities to share and explore solutions in response to urgent issues facing the academy.

The University of Iowa brings a longstanding strength in the humanities as a destination for writers and teachers of writing, as evidenced by its most recent ranking by the U.S. News and World Report as the top public university for Writing in the Disciplines.

Teresa Mangum, director of Iowa’s Obermann Center for Advanced Studies, was instrumental in the UI being asked to join the consortium through her previous role on the National Humanities Alliance Board of Directors.

“Opportunities to work with ACLS program officers and visionary leadership in recent years deeply influenced our thinking about graduate education and public scholarship at the Obermann Center. I’m very grateful to university leadership for supporting this important new relationship.”  

Mangum added that this membership will only extend Iowa’s considerable influence and impact in the humanities. 

“Joining forces with the ACLS not only gives the work of our faculty more visibility–it connects us to a network of imaginative, collaborative, risk-taking, groundbreaking teachers and scholars intent on finding ways to connect our scholarly work with the pressing needs of our communities and the world.”