Welcome to the Humanities Center

With the conviction that critical and reflective study of culture develops acumen and enhances sensibilities, the Northeastern Humanities Center supports faculty and student research in the humanities and social sciences; facilitates collaboration across disciplines; and presents humanistic and social scientific research to the wider university community and general public.  Through our fellowship program, working groups, discussion forums, symposia, seminars, informal dialogues, conferences, and joint projects, the Humanities Center fosters a wide-ranging interdisciplinary exchange of ideas in an atmosphere of respect for diverse perspectives and expertise.  An integral part of Northeastern University’s signature experiential liberal arts program, the Humanities Center offers opportunities for engagement with art, literature, philosophy, history, and social and political formations, thereby strengthening the foundation from which to respond meaningfully to one another and the needs of our world.

The Northeastern Humanities Center was founded in 2008 under the directorship of Carla Kaplan, Davis Distinguished Professor of American Literature, who directed the Center until 2011. From 2013 through 2022, the Humanities Center was directed by Lori Hope Lefkovitz, Ruderman Professor and Director of the Jewish Studies Program, and current interim director following the tragic death of Ángel David Nieves, on December 2, 2023.

In July 2024, we welcomed K.J. Rawson as the next Director of the Humanities Center. K.J. is an accomplished scholar and a driving force in the fields of digital humanities and LGBTQ+ studies. As the founder and director of the Digital Transgender Archive, K.J. has made significant contributions to preserving and promoting access to transgender history. K.J. also chairs the editorial board of Homosaurus, an LGBTQ+ linked data vocabulary that has become an essential resource for researchers and scholars. His commitment to advancing the representation and study of LGBTQ+ communities has earned him prestigious fellowships and grants from the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR), and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).