At Saint Louis University, researchers and scholars in the humanities are asking vital questions that help us better understand ourselves and our place in the world.
Hear five SLU faculty members talk about the importance of humanities research for teaching and community impact. Theirs is just a small sample of the compassionate, innovative and ambitious humanities research being done at SLU.
Who are we? Why are we here? What do we value as a society?
These are just a few of the topics researchers and scholars in the humanities are tackling at SLU. These faculty members use an analytical, interpretative and historical approach to make sense of our world and our place in it.
鈥淐ould it be that, in the Word of God, there is a tolerance and maybe even an encouragement of diverse views,鈥� said Ruben Rosario Rodriguez, Ph.D., associate professor of theological studies at SLU. 鈥淢y research is an intentional engagement with that reality of a global culture.鈥�
The Humanities in Research
Research in the humanities is a cornerstone of SLU鈥檚 research enterprise.
鈥淪cience is so important, technology is very important, but we also critically need to understand why we have them," said Nancy Bell, M.F.A., associate professor of theatre at SLU. "What is a good thing to do with those things? That鈥檚 what the humanities are for.鈥�
Research in the humanities is also at the heart of the Jesuit education that SLU provides its students.
Torrie Hester, Ph.D., an associate professor of history at SLU, studies the history of immigration policy in the United States to find ethical solutions to the problems of today.
鈥淟ooking at this early history helps us understand what deportation policy is doing today and how we can change it to make it operate better,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he Catholic Church, the Jesuits, the University鈥� have come out strongly supportive of my research.鈥�
The Humanities and SLU's Jesuit Mission
The Jesuit mission, a concern for others and a desire to build a better world grounds all the research done at SLU.
鈥淥ne of the reasons I like being at SLU is because I feel like the mission [of SLU] is essentially what my mission is, too,鈥� said Dan Haybron, Ph.D., professor of philosophy. 鈥淭here鈥檚 just much more openness to talk about what鈥檚 important in life here.鈥�
Phyllis Weliver, D.Phil., professor of English, is currently working with the Center for the Digital Humanities at SLU to digitize the manuscripts of Alfred, Lord Tennyson.
鈥淧art of what makes an inspiring classroom is having cutting-edge research, and I鈥檓 extremely lucky of my colleagues because people are doing such exciting work.鈥�
About the Faculty
Learn more about these five faculty members featured in this article and video:
- Nancy Bell, M.F.A., Associate Professor, Theatre
Bell is the literary manager for Shakespeare Festival St. Louis and , which produces free Shakespeare theatre for the St. Louis community. Shakespeare in the Streets is a response to the attitude that theatre is only for the elite. In 2018, Shakespeare in the Streets put on a production of Blow, Winds, Bell鈥檚 adaptation of King Lear, for which Bell was honored at SLU's annual Scholarly Works reception. - Daniel Haybron, Ph.D., Professor, Philosophy
In 2015, Haybron was awarded a historic $5.1 million grant for a three-year project entitled , which began to develop a new measure of happiness. Haybron is also the author of . - Torrie Hester, Ph.D., Associate Professor, History
Hester is the author of , which examines the federal government鈥檚 policies and practices regarding immigration since 1882. Hester believes that looking at this history can help alleviate the present problems in the immigration system. In 2018, Hester was honored by the university at the annual Scholarly Works reception for that book. - Ruben Rosario Rodriguez, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Theological Studies
Rodriguez is the director of the Mey Puleo Scholarship Program in Latin American Theology and Culture and author of . Rodriguez previously brought together the Society of Christian Ethics, the Society of Jewish Ethics, and the Society for the Study of Muslim Ethics 鈥� the first time in the history of those three institutions. - Phyllis Weliver, D.Phil., Professor, English
Weliver is one of the Principal Investigators of Sounding Tennyson. As part of that project, Weliver traveled to Tennyson鈥檚 home in the Isle of Wight and recorded his poems in his drawing room. She is currently working with the Center for the Digital Humanities at SLU to digitize the manuscripts of Tennyson. Weliver is also the author of .