Applications are CLOSED for the 2026-27 Fellowship
The Interdisciplinary Humanities Research Seminar sponsored by the Oklahoma Center for the Humanities at The University of Tulsa is intended to promote engaged, intellectual discussion on topics of current public and intellectual interest.
Every year, a group of approximately eight Research Fellows will be chosen to collaborate on a series of weekly seminar discussions. It is hoped that these discussions will then lead into further projects, undertaken collectively or individually. These might include magazine articles, creative works, digital projects, educational initiatives, or efforts designed to spur civic action and participation. TU students, faculty members, and members of the wider Tulsa community are all eligible to apply. The admissions committee will judge applications based on assessment of the proposal’s connection to the topic and potential for sparking dialogue among the seminar’s members.
Interdisciplinary Humanities Research Seminar on WONDER
Wonder is the origin of philosophy, said Socrates – the deep wellspring of our most fundamental questions: Who are we? What can we know? How should we act? From the toddler blowing dandelion seeds into the breeze, or the child enchanted by the sea of stars over a field full of fireflies, wonder is that essential awe and curiosity that, should we choose to cultivate it, not only guides our inquiry but keeps us young at heart. Encapsulated poetically across genres such as Japanese haiku, Mesoamerican flower-song, riddles and the lyrical verse of Dickinson, Hughes or Oliver; developed narratively in coming-of-age novels, fantasy, magical realism or science fiction; expressed through music, visual arts, cinema, theater and the sciences – wonder leads us down the rabbit hole and through the looking glass to the kaleidoscopic cabinet of curiosities that is our marvelous source of creativity.
For the 2026-27 academic year, the Oklahoma Center for the Humanities will highlight the theme of wonder through our seminar, as well as through gallery exhibits and related events at 101 Archer, to amplify the voices and works of thinkers, artists and scientists from the greater Tulsa area and beyond. We seek to explore the theme across cultures and eras, in myriad manifestations, from a panoply of disciplinary perspectives, and with the participation of the diverse public of our Oklahoma base. Join us as we delve into wonder, where everything becomes, in Alice’s words, “curiouser and curiouser”…
We encourage application from all those working in the arts, humanities and social sciences who are eager to explore the topic. The Center’s work will be broadly interdisciplinary and draw on the distinctive tools of the arts and humanities while also weaving them together with science, law, business, medicine and engineering. Fellows will pursue their own research, while also helping design a robust array of public programs at 101 Archer, including exhibitions, lectures, performances and more. Faculty will pursue this work alongside specially selected students as well as members of the larger Tulsa community who will bring their own expertise and perspectives to bear.
For application information and more details, please click below: