MAA News – Call for CARA Committee Nominations

The Medieval Academy of America’s Committee on Centers and Regional Associations (CARA) invites nominations to fill three upcoming vacancies on its Executive Committee. With a special focus upon teaching at all levels, CARA strives to assist institutions and individual medievalists in meeting the challenges that face medieval studies in the classroom, the library, and other institutional settings locally and nationally.

Members of the Executive Committee serve four-year terms; in addition to working with the CARA Chair on programming, outreach, and curricular initiatives, each member serves on two of CARA’s four subcommittees responsible for the CARA Teaching Award, the CARA Robert Kendrick Service Prize, the CARA Regional Conference Grant, and the MAA-CARA Graduate Student Summer Scholarships.

Service on the CARA Executive Committee is open to all members in good standing of the Medieval Academy of America, who may nominate themselves or be nominated by another individual. Given our goals to have regional representation on the Executive Committee, we are particularly encouraging medievalists with experience or appointments in the southwest, southeast, or on the west coast to apply. Nominations should include the following:

1. Name of nominee;

2. Nominee’s institutional or professional affiliation (including that of independent scholar);

3. A brief (c. 250-word) statement indicating the nominee’s qualifications for Executive Committee service, including their contributions to the areas of teaching, center or program administration, and/or professional collaboration and development in the field of Medieval Studies.

In accordance with CARA’s Policies and Procedures, nominations will be accepted until 1 November 2024 and reviewed thereafter by the CARA Executive Committee, which will forward its recommended candidate for approval by the Medieval Academy’s Council. The term of service for new members will begin at the conclusion of CARA’s annual meeting at Harvard University in March 2025. Please send nominations, as well as any questions or requests for further information, to the CARA Chair, Lauren Mancia (LaurenMancia@brooklyn.cuny.edu).

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MAA News – Call for CARA Prize Nominations

Robert L. Kindrick–CARA Award for Outstanding Service to Medieval Studies: The Medieval Academy of America’s Committee on Centers and Regional Associations (CARA) invites nominations for its annual service prize. The Robert L. Kindrick–CARA Award for Outstanding Service to Medieval Studies recognizes Academy members who have provided leadership in developing, organizing, promoting, and sponsoring medieval studies through their administrative work—work that is critical to the health of medieval studies, but that often goes unrecognized by the profession at large. This award of $1000 is presented at the Annual Meeting of the Medieval Academy. The annual deadline for nominations is 15 November; please note that three nominators are required, all of whom should have first-hand knowledge of the nominee’s contributions to Medieval Studies. For more information, please visit the CARA Service Award web page.

CARA Award for Excellence in Teaching: The Medieval Academy’s Committee on Centers and Regional Associations (CARA) invites nominations for its annual teaching prize, which recognizes outstanding pedagogical achievement by Medieval Academy members. This can include:

• teaching inspiring courses at the undergraduate or graduate levels;

• creating innovative teaching materials (including textbooks);

• developing courses and curricula;

• scholarship of teaching and learning (including presentations at conferences as well as publications)

• support for K-12 pedagogy and curricula;

• community-oriented or publicly-directed educational initiatives.

Normally, one prize is given for undergraduate and one prize for graduate teaching, each in the amount of $1000. These will be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Medieval Academy. The annual deadline for nominations is 15 November. For more information, please visit the CARA Teaching Award web page.

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MAA News – Centennial Speaker Series

In the calendar year of 2025, the Fellows’ Executive Committee and the leadership of CARA will sponsor a Medieval Academy Centennial Speaker Series, in which certain volunteers among the Fellows will be available to give subsidized and/or free talks and lectures at various venues around North America, either “in person” or on Zoom. Twenty-one Fellows have volunteered and proposed a variety of potential talks for both general and specialized audiences. It is an exciting list, and a fitting way to celebrate the Centennial of the MAA, as well as a means of supporting the Humanities in these challenging times. This series is aimed primarily at venues where scholarly talks from medievalists are not an everyday occurrence.

Click the link below for more information and to learn how your institution can take advantage of this unique opportunity!

https://www.medievalacademy.org/general/custom.asp?page=CentennialSpeakerSeries

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Jobs 4 Medievalists

Public Humanities Postdoctoral Fellowship

The Medieval Institute at the University of Notre Dame invites applications for a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in public humanities, supported by a previous endowment grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to the Institute. The fellow will devote the majority of the fellowship time to working closely with the Institute’s staff, especially its director of undergraduate studies and engagement, in the Institute’s outreach and engagement efforts directed at local schools as well as potential donors, alumni, and undergraduate majors and minors. The fellow will also work with the Assistant Director to prepare public humanities marketing and communications materials. The remainder of the fellow’s time may be devoted to research and/or teaching.

The fellow will be provided with a workspace in the Medieval Institute, enjoy full library and computer privileges, and have access to all the Institute’s research tools.

Eligibility: Applicants must hold a Ph.D. (or equivalent) in some area of the humanistic study of the Middle Ages, or have it in hand by the beginning of the fellowship term. Applicants must have relevant experience in public engagement in the humanities, highly effective people skills, and multimedia digital literacy. Experience with digital humanities is highly desirable.

Stipend: The stipend will follow the corresponding NIH postdoctoral rate (following the policy established by the University of Notre Dame), plus benefits. At the time of posting, that stipend rate is $61,008 per year.

Application deadline: February 1, 2025.

Application procedure: Upload a letter of application that includes reflection on how this postdoctoral position would fit into your broader career goals, a current c.v., and three confidential letters of recommendation. You may also upload a digital portfolio and similar supporting materials. If you encounter issues with Interfolio, please contact their customer support.

Application link: http://apply.interfolio.com/158353

Address questions to the Director of the Medieval Institute, Prof. Tom Burman, at tburman@nd.edu.

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Jobs For Medievalists

Byzantine Studies Postdoctoral Fellowship

Following substantial investment in the area of Byzantine Studies at the University of Notre Dame, including the acquisition of the Milton V. Anastos Library of Byzantine Civilization and generous support from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Medieval Institute at the University of Notre Dame is delighted to invite applicants for a nine-month Postdoctoral Fellowship in Byzantine Studies.

This fellowship is designed for junior scholars with a completed doctorate whose research deals with some aspect of the Byzantine world. The fellow is expected to pursue promising research towards scholarly publication and/or the development of new subject areas. This Fellowship is open to qualified applicants in all fields and sub-disciplines of Byzantine Studies, such as history (including its auxiliary disciplines), archaeology, art history, literature, theology, and liturgical studies, as well as the study of Byzantium’s interactions with neighboring cultures. The fellowship holder will pursue research in residence at the University of Notre Dame’s famed Medieval Institute during the academic year (the position begins mid-August).

The intent of this Fellowship is to enable its holder to do innovative research drawing on the rich resources held in the Milton V. Anastos Collection, the Medieval Institute, and the Hesburgh Library more broadly. This may include the completion of book manuscripts and articles, work on text editions, or the development of new trajectories of research in one of the aforementioned fields. The Fellowship carries no teaching responsibilities, but the fellow will have the opportunity to participate in the multidisciplinary activities of Notre Dame faculty related to Byzantium, Eastern Christianity, and the history of the Levant. The Fellow will be provided with a private workspace in the Medieval Institute, enjoy full library and computer privileges, and have access to all the Institute’s research tools.

In addition, towards the conclusion of the fellowship period the fellow’s work will be at the center of a workshop organized within the framework of the Byzantine Studies Seminar. Senior scholars, chosen in cooperation with the Medieval Institute, will be invited for this event treating the fellow’s subject matter. The senior scholars will discuss draft versions of the fellow’s book manuscript or articles or discuss the further development of ongoing research projects.

Eligibility: Byzantine Studies fellows must hold a Ph.D. from an internationally recognized institution. The Ph.D. must be in hand by the beginning of the fellowship term.

Stipend: the corresponding NIH postdoctoral rate (following the policy established by the University of Notre Dame), plus benefits. At the time of posting, that stipend rate is $45,765 for the 9-month term of this fellowship.

Application deadline: February 1, 2025.

Application procedure: Upload a letter of application, a project proposal of no more than 2500 words, a current c.v., and three letters of recommendation. If you encounter issues with Interfolio, please contact their customer support.

Application link: http://apply.interfolio.com/158352

 

Address questions to Prof. Alexis Torrance, Chair of the Byzantine Studies Committee, at atorran1@nd.edu.

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Jobs For Medievalists

W. Mellon Junior Faculty Fellowship in Medieval Studies

The Medieval Institute offers a fellowship for a junior faculty scholar in Medieval Studies, made possible through the generous response of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to a challenge grant awarded to Notre Dame by the National Endowment for the Humanities. This Fellowship is designed for junior faculty who currently hold a position in a United States university as an assistant professor. It is open to qualified applicants in all fields of Medieval Studies. The fellowship holder will pursue research in residence at Notre Dame’s famed Medieval Institute during the academic year (this is a nine-month position that begins mid-August).

The intent of this Fellowship is to enable its holders to complete research and writing on a book manuscript in advance of tenure. The Fellowship carries no teaching responsibilities, but holders are expected to participate in the multidisciplinary intellectual life of the Institute and to reside in South Bend. The Fellow will be provided with a private carrel in the Medieval Institute, enjoy full library and computer privileges, and have access to all the Institute’s research tools.

In addition, towards the conclusion of their residency the Fellow’s work will be at the center of a half-day conference. Three senior scholars, chosen in cooperation with the Medieval Institute, will be invited to campus for a half-day public seminar treating the subject matter of the Fellow’s research. The senior scholars will also read and discuss a draft version of the Fellow’s work in an extended private session, a one-to-one conversation following a close reading of the draft, with a view to improving the manuscript before its submission to a press.

Eligibility: Mellon scholars must hold a tenure-track appointment at a U.S. institution, obviously with a completed Ph.D., and should not be more than six years beyond receiving their Ph.D. at the time of the application.

Stipend: $50,000 (paid directly to the Fellow’s home institution)

Application deadline: February 1, 2025.

Application procedure: Upload a letter of application, a project proposal of no more than 2500 words, a current c.v., and three letters of recommendation. If you encounter issues with Interfolio, please contact their customer support.

Application link: http://apply.interfolio.com/158350

Address questions to the Director of the Medieval Institute, Prof. Tom Burman, at tburman@nd.edu.

 

 

 

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Utrecht University is planning to close the Bachelor Programme Celtic Languages and Culture

Last Monday, the news broke that Utrecht University is planning to close the Bachelor Programme Celtic Languages and Culture. Sign this petition to help preserve this unique bachelor programme. https://chng.it/7pYchDw7KC

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November 1: The Black Presence in European Art, 1100-1500

The Black Presence in European Art, 1100-1500
A Race in Dialogue Conversation
Denva Gallant (Rice University) and Paul Kaplan (Purchase College, SUNY)

Friday, November 1, 2024
12:00-1:00 PM Central Time
Online via Zoom

CRS is pleased to announce the latest conversation in our Race and Dialogue series.
In this conversation, Profs. Gallant and Kaplan discuss the current state of this expanding field, in which new voices and interdisciplinary perspectives have enriched scholarly discourse. Among the topics to be raised are arguments about the relevance of the concepts of race and racism in this era, the impact of slavery on visual imagery, the historical presence of Black Africans in Europe (specifically Italy); and the use of the important Image of the Black in Western Art database.

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Vagantes 2025 Call for Papers

The 24th Vagantes Conference on Medieval Studies co-hosted by Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will take place at Duke University in Durham, NC from April 3-5, 2025. Vagantes is an interdisciplinary community of junior and early career scholars that offers an ideal opportunity for sharing new research from across the disciplines. Please submit abstracts of 300 words, a title, and a 1-page CV including your name and pronouns as a PDF to vagantesboard@gmail.com by December 9th, 2024. 

Additionally, in honor of the MAA’s Centennial, we are soliciting an Open Call for submissions for a roundtable discussion: “Reflections After the Centennial: Creating Futures in Medieval Studies.” We seek abstract submissions for 5-7 minute presentations, with added time for questions and discussion following. Roundtable presenters are encouraged to engage with questions such as: where can we locate possibilities for growth in the field of medieval studies? How can I professionalize for careers outside of the academy? How can my scholarship engage with medieval studies in creative and/or non-traditional ways? Abstract submissions may range from research advice for independent scholars, medieval gaming, visions of a capacious medieval studies, and pedagogy outside the academy. Please email vagantesboard@gmail.com with queries. To submit, please specify “Open Call” in the email subject and in your abstract title.

We would be thankful if you could distribute this Call for Papers to graduate students in your department, and to share it with any other colleagues who might be interested.

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Online Lecture: Re-Imagining Jerusalem: The Ritual Recreation of Pilgrimage between Syria and Georgia

The Mary Jaharis Center for Byzantine Art and Culture and the Mashtots Professor of Armenian Studies at Harvard University are pleased to announce the next lecture in the 2024–2025 East of Byzantium lecture series.

Friday, November 15, 2024 | 12:00 PM (EST, UTC -5) | Zoom
Re-Imagining Jerusalem: The Ritual Recreation of Pilgrimage between Syria and Georgia
Emma Loosley Leeming, University of Exeter

Pilgrimages to the Holy Land are a well-documented phenomenon of Late Antique Christian belief and we are accustomed to reading about the experience of walking in the footsteps of Christ through the testimony of early witnesses such as Egeria. After the Islamic conquests and the loss of Jerusalem to the Arabs, there were periods when it became more difficult to undertake such travels and by the Middle Ages the concept of pilgrimage was re-framed so that it could also mean an interior journey undertaken by a meditative process such as the navigation of the labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral.

However, across the Middle East and Caucasus, liturgical texts and rare poorly-understood survivals of early liturgical furniture suggest a range of processes for re-imagining Jerusalem both within churches or by imprinting the loca sancta upon a wider regional landscape. This lecture will introduce some of the ways that believers recreated the rituals of Jerusalem pilgrimage without leaving their hometowns and villages. It will introduce examples from Syria and Georgia in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, and encourage future research in this widely under-studied area of ritual practice.

Emma Loosley Leeming studied at the University of York, the Courtauld Institute of Art and the School of Oriental and African Studies, London, where she specialised in the art, architecture and liturgy of Late Antique Syria. She then spent several years living and working at the Monastery of St. Moses the Abyssinian (Deir Mar Musa al-Habashi) in Nebek, Syria, during which time she founded and directed the Dayr Mar Elian Archaeological Project in nearby Qaryatayn. From 2004–2013 she was lecturer in Middle Eastern Art and Architecture at the University of Manchester, before moving to the University of Exeter (2013–) where since 2019 she has been Professor of Middle Eastern and Caucasian Christianities. From 2012–2017 she held a European Research Council grant that enabled her to explore the relationship between Syria and Georgia in Late Antiquity and is currently working on a book with a Georgian colleague examining the origins and development of Georgian ‘three-church’ basilicas.

Advance registration required. Register: https://eastofbyzantium.org/upcoming-events/

Contact Brandie Ratliff (mjcbac@hchc.edu), Director, Mary Jaharis Center for Byzantine Art and Culture with any questions.

An East of Byzantium lecture. EAST OF BYZANTIUM is a partnership between the Mashtots Professor of Armenian Studies at Harvard University and the Mary Jaharis Center that explores the cultures of the eastern frontier of the Byzantine empire in the late antique and medieval periods.

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