UMKC School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Originally from small town Troy, Missouri, history student Emily Shoemake has found her way to Kansas City, where she is pursuing her thesis project titled, “The Shoemake Family Oral History Project: The Memories That Transform Identity."

Her passion in cultural heritage in rural America has landed her a summer internship at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, where she will work on the Costumes and Textiles Collections Project.

Christie Hodgen, Ph.D., English professor in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, wrote the story "Rich Strike," and was awarded a Pushcart Prize, one of the most highly-coveted annual prizes for writers of literary fiction and nonfiction! This honor includes publication in the annual 2026 Pushcart Prize anthology. Congratulations, Christie!

The Pushcart Prize L: Best of the Small Presses 2026 Edition The Pushcart Prize L: Best of the Small Presses 2026 Edition

Rosie Yancey and Linda Ticum are both SHSS students among six UMKC students selected to receive the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to study abroad. Rosie will be studying in South Korea and Linda is going to Spain. Congratulations to our students!

Learn more about the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship: https://www.umkc.edu/news/posts/2026/may/six-umkc-students-earn-prestigious-scholarship-to-study-abroad.html

The World Cup is just three weeks away, and one SHSS alumna is helping shape Kansas City’s moment in the global spotlight! Major Abigail Martinez (B.A. ’02) is leading security organization for Kansas City during the matches. As the events and special projects coordinator for the Kansas City Police Department (KCPD), Martinez is in charge of the planning and coordination of Kansas City’s safety plan, which includes more than 50 agencies at the local, county, state and federal levels. She attended a Union of European Football Associations championship games so she could see firsthand what to expect, and has game planned with law enforcement from other host cities.

Learn more about Major Abigail Martinez's role: https://www.umkc.edu/news/posts/2026/may/alumni-economics-and-global-reach-umkc-impact-on-the-2026-fifa-world-cup.html

Congratulations to all of our SHSS graduates! Here's just a few walking across the stage at T-Mobile Center today 🎓

Every semester, outstanding graduating students are named Dean of Students Honor Recipients. SHSS students Lyla Jones and Victor Sewankambo are two of 20 students given that honor this semester, for their academic achievements, service and leadership. Congratulations!

Learn more about the students: https://www.umkc.edu/news/posts/2026/may/graduating-students-named-dean-of-students-honor-recipients.html

We were delighted to host Lincoln College Preparatory Academy, St. Teresa's Academy and Raytown C-2 School District for Pigments and Politics, a National Humanities Center 2026 Being Human Festival event. Students learned about the history and significance of paint and color, explored the story of the UMKC Quintanilla murals, and then painted a “mural” of their own!

Congratulations to Media, Art and Design adjunct Brian Hawkins (B.A. ’11) for being selected as a 2026 Guggenheim Fellowship! Of only 223 recipients across the United States and Canada, Hawkins was chosen for this esteemed honor. He joins only seven other UMKC faculty members to have received the Guggenheim honor. As an alumnus, UMKC supported his journey in a way that may differ from students who attended a stand-alone arts school.

Learn more about Hawkins' journey: https://www.umkc.edu/news/posts/2026/may/media-art-and-design-adjunct-selected-for-2026-guggenheim-fellowship.html

Good luck to our Roos on finals next week! Remember to take breaks and get enough rest, food and water. You got this!