Widener University Humanities

This article features a review of Assistant Professor of History, Jordan Smith's, recently published book "The invention of rum: Creating the quintessential Atlantic commodity," which explores the history of rum around the Atlantic from 1640 to 1810.

Trash into treasure In the November 1948 issue of Ebony, Langston Hughes wrote about Jamaica as an easily accessible, “prejudice-free” travel destination. On arrival at

Sushi-Making event with Professor Mao and Fumiyo Batta - all students in attendance made a California roll and/or a Japanese roll.
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Delaware Law School graduate Paula Yost '05 is the focus of this article from her undergraduate alma mater.

From English major to lawyer, therapist, and entrepreneur Paula Yost ‘02 once struggled to explain to her parents what she could do with a bachelor’s degree in English. Now, her impressive resume reads like three or four lifetimes wrapped into one.

Undergraduate students, please consider supporting WAVE and participating in our end-of-year evaluation! We’d love to hear your feedback and learn about how WAVE has impacted our campus.

Your anonymous response helps WAVE continue to apply for grants and improve our programs for next year! Plus, you’ll be entered to win 1 of 3 $50 Amazon gift cards. Survey Link: https://widener.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_56WvnL6zF7hqNzU

2026 Humanities Awards Ceremony - Congratulations to all of the students with a 3.5 g.p.a. and above!
Dr. Paul Goldberg, Associate Dean of Humanities
Distinguished Humanities Alumna Award Recipient: Samantha Przybylowicz
Remarks by Distinguished Graduating Senior: Phoebe Robbins

Presentation of Awards
English – Presented by Dr. Annalisa Castaldo
Allison Roelofs Award: Raven Garabo
Susan Hastie Award: Maura O’Brien

History – Presented by Dr. Richard Hopkins
The History Award: Anthony Stuardi

Art & Music - Presented by Dr. Sara Berkowitz
Robert Young Memorial Prize in the Power of Art: Lindsey Felker

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Congratulations to Associate Professor of History, Jordan Smith, for his book prize nomination!

The Nach Waxman Prize Shortlist for Books Published in 2025 We're delighted to reveal the shortlist for the third annual Nach Waxman Prize for Food and Beverage Scholarship. This is one of the few prizes for food writing which carries a cash award: $5,500. For books published in 2025, the nominees are: Lori A. Flores Awaiting Their Feast: Latinx Food Workers...

Congratulations to the students in THTR 288 for a terrific presentation of experimental theater for Student Project Day! 🦁

Marina Carreira will give a reading of their poetry on Thursday, April 23 at 4pm in FREE 122.

Associate Professor of History Jordan Smith has been selected as a 2026–27 Eccles Institute visiting fellow with the British Library. This fellowship program offers funding for researchers to spend time with the British Library's collections in London to further their research.

Announcement of the 2026–27 Eccles Institute Visiting Fellows We are delighted to announce a fantastic cohort of academic, creative and independent researchers exploring a hugely diverse range of topics.

Assistant Teaching Professor of English, Ben Nadler, authored this piece exploring different literary portrayals of Abraham Lincoln throughout history.

A. Lincoln, Simulacrum: Approaches to Reanimating the Great Emancipator - SFWA - The Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association by Ben Nadler. Writers have reinvented Abraham Lincoln through many speculative devices, including ghosts, androids, and time travel. Discover how these imaginative approaches reshape history and illuminate Lincoln’s enduring cultural power.