The Medieval Academy Blog

Medieval Academy of America Governance Election Results

Posted on January 6, 2020 by Chris

To the members of the Medieval Academy of America:
I am very pleased to announce the results of the 2020 governance election, which closed at 11:59 PM on Jan. 2:

President: Renate Blumenfeld-Kosinski (French & Italian, Univ. of Pittsburgh (Emerita))
1st VP: Thomas Dale (Art History, Univ. of Wisconsin)
2nd VP: Maureen Miller (History, Univ. of California at Berkeley)

Council:

Lisa Bitel (Religion, University of Southern California)
Seeta Chaganti (English, Univ. of California, Davis)
Geraldine Heng (English & Comparative Literature, Middle Eastern Studies & Women’s Studies, Univ. of Texas at Austin)
Laura Morreale (French and Italian, Independent Scholar)

Nominating Committee:

Alison Beach (History, The Ohio State University)
Cord Whitaker (English, Wellesley College)

627 ballots were cast electronically and 9 were submitted by mail. This represents voter turnout of about 19%.

My thanks to all who voted and to all who stood for election, and my congratulations to all who were elected.

Lisa Fagin Davis
Executive Director, Medieval Academy of America

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2019 Annual Fund

Posted on December 20, 2019 by Chris

Medieval Academy of America
2019 Annual Fund

The landscape of Medieval Studies is more dynamic than ever, rich with the voices of scholars of all identities, disciplines, and areas of specialty. And though the field of Medieval Studies has faced difficult challenges in 2019, the Medieval Academy of America has responded with both public advocacy and increased support of our members.

In 2019, we disbursed nearly $100,000 in support for student, contingent, and unaffiliated scholars. But our work is only possible when our community of supporters comes together to drive our mission forward. As the year draws to a close, we hope you will partner with the Medieval Academy of America to continue and expand our work through your 2019 end-of-year giving.

Your donation to the Medieval Academy of America supports the critical work that is at the heart of our mission. Many of our members receive little to no institutional support, and donations from supporters like you enable us to expand funding and programming for contingent and unaffiliated scholars, for our student members, and for junior scholars, with travel grants, research funding, and publication subsidies.

With your help, we will be able to continue our work, strengthening Medieval Studies and supporting medievalists in North America and around the world. Please make a donation today.

https://medievalacademy.org/donations/

Ruth Mazo Karras, President
Lisa Fagin Davis, Executive Director
p.s. If you have already made a donation, please accept our thanks for your support!

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Call for Papers – CEMERS Conference Medieval Cultural Heritage Around the Globe: Monuments, Literature, and the Arts, Then and Now

Posted on December 20, 2019 by Chris

Call for Papers: CEMERS Conference
Medieval Cultural Heritage Around the Globe:
Monuments, Literature, and the Arts, Then and Now
Binghamton University, October 23-24, 2020

The field of cultural heritage has experienced a great increase in scholarly and media attention in recent years. Events such as the removal of Confederate monuments and memorials have made evident how controversial cultural heritage can be, and the central role it plays in defining communal identities at all levels, from small villages to multi-state entities, such as colonial empires or, more recently, the United States and the European Union. This interdisciplinary conference, hosted by the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies (CEMERS) at Binghamton University will explore cultural heritage, broadly conceived, as it relates to the global Middle Ages (c.500 – c.1500). Topics will range from medieval approaches to the cultural heritage inherited or claimed by medieval societies, to the transformation of medieval heritage through the centuries, to the yearning for medieval times that has inspired, in the modern era, the architecture of university campuses, the rebuilding of Japanese castles to assert communal identity, and the revival of traditional crafts, among others.

This conference aims to bring together scholars from a range of backgrounds whose work sheds important new light on our relationship with the medieval past. We hope to foster conversations across traditional disciplinary and geographic boundaries about the definitions, cultural significance, and use of cultural heritage in disparate parts of the medieval and modern worlds. How does examining conceptions and problems related to cultural heritage inform our understanding of medieval cultures? How does modern engagement with the medieval past shape debates about power, identity and belonging? What determines how heritage is defined and what merits preservation? What is the state of medieval heritage today?

We invite papers from a variety of disciplinary and methodological perspectives on any topic related to cultural heritage and the Middle Ages, including:

Medieval heritage and identity in the early modern and modern worlds
Trafficking in and questions surrounding the restitution of cultural artifacts
Heritage across borders and global diasporas
Cultural heritage sites connected to legends, literature, and theater
Pilgrimage and tourism
Issues of representation and exclusion
UNESCO and the handling of medieval cultural heritage
Literature and film tourism at heritage sites
Violence, atrocity, and difficult heritage
Heritage-making and cultural appropriation
Heritage and communities
Cultural heritage in the digital world

Abstracts for individual papers and for sessions are invited. We particularly encourage scholars working in different disciplines to organize panels together. Papers should be 20 minutes in length. Send abstracts and CVs to cemers@binghamton.edu. For information, contact Roberta Strippoli (rstrippo@binghamton.edu). Deadline: May 1, 2020.

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Conferences – Power, Resistance, and Leadership RBMS 2020

Posted on December 20, 2019 by Chris

Power, Resistance, and Leadership
RBMS 2020
June 23-26, 2020
Indiana University, Bloomington, IN

The Rare Books and Manuscripts Section (RBMS) of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) offers scholarships to subsidize conference attendance by professional librarians, paraprofessionals, and students. RBMS is currently accepting scholarship applications for RBMS 2020: Power, Resistance, and Leadership to be held at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN from June 23-26, 2020. The deadline to apply for scholarships is January 10, 2020 and applicants will be notified on or before March 6, 2020. *Please note that eligibility requirements have changed, and awards are available for first-time attendees and returning attendees.*

RBMS is committed to increasing equity, diversity and inclusion in its membership and the special collections and archives professions. Accordingly, preference is given to applicants from underrepresented ethnic and racial groups, those employed by or volunteering at institutions that primarily serve one or more of these groups, and ACRL/RBMS members. For more information about the RBMS commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, please visit the RBMS website.

Scholarships are funded by a combination of generous contributions from RBMS members and the previous year’s conference profit share. Full and partial scholarships to the RBMS conference will be awarded. Full scholarships include a waiver of the conference registration fee (a $140 – $340 value depending on registration type) plus a travel stipend ($750). Partial scholarships provide complimentary registration (a $140 – $340 value depending on registration type) and may or may not include a travel stipend depending on applicant need/location ($400). The majority of scholarships will be awarded to support those who have not previously attended RBMS; a limited number of scholarships are available to individuals who have previously attended RBMS.

Eligibility
All candidates must be:

· Currently enrolled in a library, information science, or archival studies program; a graduate of such a program; OR currently employed or volunteering as a professional or paraprofessional in a rare books, special collections, or archives capacity.

To Apply
Candidates must complete the RBMS 2020 Scholarship Application Form. We recommend that you preview the application form before you begin as it must be completed in one sitting.

Deadline
Friday, January 10, 2020 (11:59 PST)

Criteria
The Scholarships Committee will take into consideration the following criteria when considering applicants:

· Evidence of commitment to and interest in the rare books, special collections, and/or archives fields

· For first-time conference participants: Interest in contributing to the profession

· For returning conference participants: Interest in contributing to the profession through proposed conference participation (speaker/moderator) and/or RBMS committee participation

· Potential to benefit professionally from attendance at the conference

· Financial need

In awarding the scholarships, preference will be given to:

· Applicants from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups

· Applicants employed or volunteering at an institution (or in a position) that primarily serves one or more underrepresented racial and/or ethnic groups

· Applicants who are ACRL/RBMS members

· Applicants who have not previously received a scholarship from ACRL/RBMS

Requirements
Scholarship recipients are required to attend the entire RBMS conference and complete the conference evaluation. To help us ensure the ongoing improvement of the scholarship program, all scholarship recipients will be required to submit a post-conference evaluation letter by July 31, 2020.

Notification
All applicants will be notified on or before March 6, 2020. Please see the RBMS Conference website for more details and to apply: http://conference.rbms.info/2020/scholarships/

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2020 Summer Latin Program–Centre for Medieval Studies

Posted on December 12, 2019 by Chris

In 2020, the Centre for Medieval Studies at the University of Toronto will offer the following courses in Medieval Latin:

Beginning Latin (8 hours of instruction weekly, 19 May to 10 July 2020, with an optional three-week reading course thereafter). Textbook: Moreland and Fleischer, Latin: an Intensive Course.

Level One Medieval Latin (7.5 hours weekly, 25 May to 3 July 2020, with an optional two-week grammar review before the course).

Level Two Medieval Latin (7.5 hours weekly, 6 July to 14 August 2020).

Enrollment in the Level One and Level Two courses will be restricted and will depend on performance in the April Level One Latin examination. Information on the examinations and the summer program is available on line (medieval.utoronto.ca).

The fee for each course is $1,200 (Can) for Canadian residents, or its equivalent in US dollars for non-Canadian residents. The deadline to apply for all courses is 1 May 2020. Enrollment in each course is limited.

A limited number of stipends are available for graduate students participating in summer courses in medieval languages or manuscript studies, and Level One and Level Two Latin at the Centre for Medieval Studies. The stipend will be paid directly to the program to offset a portion of the tuition cost and is contingent on acceptance into the program. Applicants must be members of the Medieval Academy in good standing with at least one year of graduate school remaining and must demonstrate both the importance of the summer course to their program of study and their home institution’s inability to offer analogous coursework.

To apply, please submit a statement of purpose, CV, and two letters of recommendation, to:

MAA/CARA Summer Scholarships
Medieval Academy of America
6 Beacon St., Suite 500
Boston, MA. 02108

Applications must be received by 15 March and will be judged by the Committee for Professional Development and the Chair of the CARA Committee. There will be between four and eight awards yearly, depending upon the number of worthy applicants and the cost of the summer programs.

ASSESSMENT IN MEDIEVAL LATIN

The Centre for Medieval Studies in Toronto continues to offer its Level One and Level Two Medieval Latin examinations to external students. Examinations will be as follows: Level One, 13 April 2020 and 9 September 2020; Level Two, 15 April 2020 and 11 September 2020. Fee for examinations: $50 (US) for non-Canadians, $50 (Can.) for Canadians. For details and application forms, please visit the Centre’s website: medieval.utoronto.ca. Note that admission into the Summer Medieval Latin Level One and Level Two courses will be decided on the basis of the April Level One Latin examination

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Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies Mellon Post-Doctoral Fellowships

Posted on December 12, 2019 by Chris

The Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies offers post-doctoral Fellowships to be used for research at the Institute in the medieval field of the holder’s choice. Mellon Fellows will also participate in the interdisciplinary Research Seminars.

The Mellon Fellowships are intended for young medievalists of exceptional promise who have completed their doctoral work, ordinarily within the previous five years, including those who are starting on their professional academic careers at approximately the Assistant Professor level. Fellowships are valued at approximately $40,000 (CDN).

Applications for the academic year 2020–2021 should be e-mailed in PDF format to the Institute Secretary at cynthia.watson@utoronto.ca. Reference letters may also be e-mailed directly by the referee to the Institute Secretary. Completed applications, as well as all supporting documentation, must be received no later than 1 February 2020. The awarding institution must send official confirmation that the PhD has been examined and approved to the postal address below. All documentation must be received by the application deadline.

Application forms and further details may be obtained from the web site at:
https://www.pims.ca/article/post-doctoral-mellon-fellowships/

Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies
59 Queen’s Park Crescent East
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M5S 2C4

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Registration for the 2020 Annual Meeting is Open!

Posted on December 9, 2019 by Chris

Registration for the 95th Annual Meeting of the Medieval Academy of America is now open.

The meeting will take place at the University of California, Berkeley from 26-28 March 2020. The program, registration, and hotel information are available here. Register by February 21 to take advantage of the early-bird discount, and make your hotel reservations as soon as possible. MAA members: be sure to log into your MAA account before you begin the registration process so that you will receive your member discount. If you cannot recall your username or password, please email info@themedievalacademy.org.

Click here for more information and to register:
https://www.medievalacademy.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1125497

We look forward to seeing you at Berkeley!

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MAA News – Upcoming Application Deadlines

Posted on December 9, 2019 by Chris

Belle Da Costa Greene Award (deadline 15 February)
Applications are now being accepted for the inaugural Belle Da Costa Greene Award supporting research by medievalists of color.

The Belle Da Costa Greene Award of $2,000 will be granted annually to a member of the Medieval Academy of America for research and travel. The award may be used to visit archives, attend conferences, or to facilitate writing and research. The award will be granted on the basis of the quality of the proposed project, the applicant’s budgetary needs (as expressed by a submitted budget and in the project narrative), and the estimation of the ways in which the award will facilitate the applicant’s research and contribute to the field. Special consideration will be given to graduate students, emerging junior scholars, adjunct, and unaffiliated scholars. Click here for more information. Click here to make a donation in support of the Greene Award.

Olivia Remie Constable Award (deadline 15 February):
Four Olivia Remie Constable Awards of $1,500 each will be granted to emerging junior faculty, adjunct or unaffiliated scholars (broadly understood: post-doctoral, pre-tenure) for research and travel. Click here for more information.

MAA Dissertation Grants (deadline 15 February):
The nine annual Medieval Academy Dissertation Grants support advanced graduate students who are writing Ph.D. dissertations on medieval topics. The $2,000 grants help defray research expenses. Click here for more information.

Schallek Awards (deadline 15 February):The five annual Schallek awards support graduate students conducting doctoral research in any relevant discipline dealing with late-medieval Britain (ca. 1350-1500). The $2,000 awards help defray research expenses. Click here for more information.

MAA/GSC Grant for Innovation in Community-Building and Professionalization (deadline 15 February):
The MAA/GSC Grant(s) will be awarded to an individual or graduate student group from one or more universities. The purpose of this grant is to stimulate new and innovative efforts that support pre-professionalization, encourage communication and collaboration across diverse groups of graduate students, and build communities amongst graduate student medievalists. Click here for more information.

Applicants for these and other MAA programs must be members in good standing of the Medieval Academy. Please contact the Executive Director for more information about these and other MAA programs.