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School of Liberal Arts News Center

This is your central location for IU School of Liberal Arts news. Check back regularly for the latest stories highlighting the research and academic accomplishments in and around our liberal arts community.

 

Since its inception in 1989, the Center for the Study of Religion & American Culture on Indiana University’s Indianapolis campus has become known across the globe as a leader in its field. The center’s focus is to increase understanding of the influence of religion in the lives of Americans through impactful research and service to the public.

The center’s reach expanded in 2020 when the Association of Religion Data Archives transitioned its operations from Penn State to its current home at IUPUI. The ARDA was recently awarded a $1.6 million grant from The John Templeton Foundation to continue its work, which complements a $2.4 million grant it previously received from Lilly Endowment Inc. The funds will help the ARDA provide important data to clergy members, community leaders, journalists, and researchers as well as students and others who interact with the center.

IU School of Liberal Arts political science undergraduate student, Oriana V. Fuenmayor Mora, has been recognized by Indiana University for exemplifying Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s signature virtues of vision, spirit, and leadership at IU and in the community. Mora, who is also a school student ambassador, was among this year’s recipients to receive the 2024 Building Bridges Award during a special campus event celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Center for Africana Studies & Culture (CASC) in the IU School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI announces renowned Indianapolis-based jazz musician Rob Dixon as its inaugural Artist in Residence for the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 academic years. Founded in 2020, CASC endeavors to create venues and opportunities for a more comprehensive engagement of the Black experience by operationalizing the academic work of the Africana Studies Program. In this new role, Dixon will serve as an ambassador for CASC and promote the proliferation of public-facing events and creative activity as an outlet for artistic expression on campus and in the community.

In 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic lingered from days, weeks, and into several months, it became clear the social and physical impacts of the pandemic affected everyone. For university professors, the methods of teaching shifted dramatically. Courses were moved entirely online, resulting in increased time spent on course prep and research. Like many other professionals, faculty were also forced to find time to manage childcare and homeschooling.

Rachel Wheeler, chair and professor of religious studies at the IU School of Liberal Arts, recognized this problem and assembled a team of IUPUI faculty to develop an app, COVIDCV, that allows individuals to document burdens and challenges posed by the pandemic. The team is now moving to a broader app, RealCV, which will use artificial intelligence to translate work that often goes unacknowledged, frequently called “invisible labor,” into a set of skills, such as strategic planning, project management and communications, that will be legible to current and potential employers.

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