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Arts for All, College of Arts and Humanities, The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center

2026 ARHU Dean's Lecture Series with Angélique Kidjo

'Africa’s premier diva' to discuss music, cultural fluency and global advocacy with Dean Stephanie Shonekan.

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Philosophy

UMD Launches Bachelor’s Degree to Explore Human Dimensions of AI

New major aims to ethically advance AI tech, prepare students to address its societal impact.

Read More about UMD Launches Bachelor’s Degree to Explore Human Dimensions of AI

Whatever your interests and aspirations, ARHU is committed to providing the knowledge, skills and opportunities all our students need to write their own stories and chart their own paths.

"The openness and friendliness of the faculty and staff have been a major driving force in my success as a student and professional. Their willingness to provide resources has opened up exciting opportunities and given me a substantial launching pad for my professional development."

David T. Obajemu ’25, Immersive media design

“I love the community here. The university offers a ton of resources and opportunities to get involved, while the arts and humanities provide an intimate community to grow and learn alongside faculty and students. I feel supported and challenged by my professors and peers.”

Keegan Perry '27 Theatre; Women, gender, & sexuality studies

“I feel supported by my professors as I prepare for a future museum career in American art. I’m taking theories from class and applying them in the art galleries on campus and as a fellow at The Phillips Collection in D.C. In my roles, I give tours, help with outreach and research the collections.”

Trinitee Tatum '26 Art history; American studies

"I applied both of my majors and experienced diplomacy by interning at the Embassy of Mexico. Studying abroad in Barcelona gave me another opportunity to use my Spanish and deepen my cultural immersion. UMD has provided the skills, resources and experiences needed for my future career."

Aidan Lash ’27 Spanish; International relations

GRAND CHALLENGES

DEMAND FEARLESS IDEAS

The research and creative works of our faculty, students and alumni are setting the agenda for transformative dialogue about the value of the arts and the humanities in the world today.

Research Highlights

New Scholarship from The College of Arts and Humanities

Explore Our Research

Happening at ARHU

A flute that feels like raindrops fluttering across the skin. A violin that registers as a looping sensation. Drums that arrive as an insistent, rhythmic pulse. That’s how Jill Bradbury, a Deaf scholar and director of the University of Maryland’s School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies, describes what live music could feel like for Deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences. Now, a $150,000 grant from the Artists Make Technology Lab, an initiative supporting innovation in the performing arts, will help her and an interdisciplinary UMD team make that a reality. The team will develop wearable technology and software that use haptic feedback — physical sensations such as vibrations — to translate musical elements into patterns audiences can feel on their bodies. Existing wearable devices largely use vibrations to convey changes in pitch and volume, but Bradbury’s team wants to create distinct patterns that capture the qualities of different instruments and how they interact. By layering these patterns, the team hopes to convey the texture and complexity of music in an entirely new way. The project brings together multiple faculty members as a part of the Haptic Aesthetics for Access and Inclusion team. Pictured (from left to right) are team members: Sam Crawford, senior lecturer of sound and media technologies and co-director of the Maya Brin Institute; Jun Nishida, assistant professor in computer science; Jill Bradbury, director of the School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies; Andrew Cissna, associate clinical professor of lighting design; and Nirupam Roy, associate professor in computer science. Not pictured: Dan Leizman MFA ’24, lecturer in art. Photo by Taneen Momeni Read more at the link in our bio.
What can you do with an arts and humanities degree? Come ask the people who are doing it. Access2Alumni is back, and it’s free for all UMD students, any major, any year (grad students too!). Meet ARHU alumni working in law, marketing, media, tech, nonprofits, the arts and more, and get real talk on how they got from here to there. In person: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 4-6 p.m., Colony Ballroom, STAMP Student Union (free food!) Virtual: Wednesday, Nov. 4, 5-6:15 p.m. on Zoom Come to one night or both. You don’t need to have it all figured out. That’s the point. Just bring your questions and an open mind. Nov. 3 is also Election Day, so make your voting plan ahead of time. Register at the link in our profile.
Congratulations to Robin Brino and Lucia Brino from the Arts Scholars program who were recognized with the Pattison Creativity Award at the College Park Scholars Founders and Citation Awards! Students in the Arts Scholars program gain a deeper understanding of the impact of art as a means to explore society and culture against the backdrop of our individual differences and shared experiences.

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