Institute for Public Humanities
Ideas. Innovation. Impact.
At Christopher Newport, the humanities don’t stay in the classroom, they come alive in the world around us. The Institute for Public Humanities connects students and faculty with community partners. Working together, we unleash our creativity and apply our skills in real-world settings to tackle complex challenges, conduct practical research, communicate scholarship in accessible ways, and tell untold stories.
Here, we don’t just study history, literature, philosophy, or language, we use them to make a difference.
Who We Are. What We Do. Why It Matters.
The world is complex. The humanities offer crucial perspectives, skills, and solutions to address today's challenges, especially those rooted in human behavior, ethics, culture, and communication.
To fulfill this mission, we
- design interdisciplinary curriculum
- craft accessible scholarship
- cultivate community partnerships
- maximize innovative technologies
- coordinate educational programming
- encourage civic engagement
The Institute for Public Humanities fosters meaningful relationships with our community, supports faculty to apply their big ideas, and encourages students to get involved, early and often. We bring our research to shape public policy, write grants, craft media messages, create school curriculum, interpret the past, and produce web content. Here, everyone contributes. Together.
The Institute for Public Humanities “sets the table” where our community comes together. From Colonial Williamsburg to state agencies and Newport News nonprofits, southeast Virginia is rich with opportunities for meaningful engagement. We work with schools, museums, public broadcasting, religious congregations, hospitals, and service organizations, bringing the varied perspectives and practical talents of the humanities to the vibrant communities that make up the Hampton Roads region.
Through hands-on projects, with support from faculty-mentors and community partners, humanities students develop valuable professional skills including deep research, persuasive communication, creative problem-solving, productive teamwork, and tech fluency. Practical, hands-on projects include:
- conducting research for public policy advocates
- drafting grant applications for nonprofit organizations
- interviewing community members for an oral history project
- creating a virtual reality experience for local school districts
- filming a documentary for museums and cultural institutions
- building interactive digital maps for government agencies
- designing training sessions on ethics for businesses and hospitals
- providing language translations for city services and adult learners
- uncovering artifacts at a dig site for religious organizations and local communities
- recording a podcast for media outlets
We’re putting powerful tools in the hands of our humanities students and faculty. With a $200,000 investment in cutting-edge digital technology, Christopher Newport’s Institute for Public Humanities features a podcast studio, virtual/augmented reality lab, archaeology conservation/preservation lab, and advanced digital storytelling equipment and platforms. Whether you're seeking to map change with ArcGIS, film a documentary, curate an online exhibit, design an infographic, or record an audio program, humanities students and faculty are innovative content creators. We do not cede the "T" in STEM.
Archaeology Lab
Working with professional archaeologists, students gain significant field experience at dig sites throughout Hampton Roads. On these credit-bearing, grant-supported projects, students learn techniques of excavation, conservation, preservation, and exhibition. Our current site in Hampton connects students to one of the oldest church congregations in America. These unearthed artifacts tell the layered history of Indigenous communities, the colonial and Revolutionary era, the American Civil War, land use practices, and environmental transformation.
Department of HistoryStep inside the story. Explore ancient Rome, walk the Yorktown battlefield, or compose music for Hampton Roads landmarks. Our state-of-the-art VR Lab gives students and faculty access to interactive technology for extending the classroom experience to the entire world, and provides the tools to create and share immersive experiences with community partners.
The Public History Center works directly with more than 70 historic sites, museums, and non-profit agencies in Virginia and beyond through hands-on internships and community engagement projects. Students and faculty conduct research and data analysis, create surveys and economic impact studies, develop public programs, and publish digital exhibits through our Explore History online museum.
Explore HistoryThe Institute supports oral history projects that allow students to collaborate with community organizations to document the stories in our region. Working with faculty-mentors, students interview local residents, digitize historical materials, and help preserve the under-represented voices that continue to shape our region.
Hampton Roads Oral History Project
Broadcasting from state-of-the-art studios in Virginia’s “Historic Triangle,” students and faculty collaborate on award-winning podcasts that bring perspective and relevance to today’s biggest headlines through engaging interviews and research-driven storytelling.
Past is Prologue PodcastThe humanities come alive with the transformative power of technology. Not only do the humanities investigate the impact of the digital world and social media on people, but students and faculty also use tech tools, such as ArcGIS mapping software, to create and share data visualization with the public in accessible ways.
String Data Art Comic Book Burnings
Virginia 250 at CNU
Beginning in January 2026, join us at the Torggler Fine Arts Center for a series of stimulating public talks and performances to commemorate America’s 250th. From June to October, the public is invited to visit a major regional exhibition, Revolution Close to Home, spotlighting Hampton Roads’ pivotal role in America’s founding. In collaboration with many museum and civic partners, and featuring student research, virtual/augmented reality storytelling, and artifacts from across the region, this multi-gallery experience brings Virginia’s Revolutionary stories to life. Huzzah!
Events coming soon!
Join the conversation at our many sponsored events, free and open to the public. Throughout the year, community members share their experiences and expertise, attend guest lectures, film screenings, hands-on workshops, and performances. At Christopher Newport, we invite the community to connect with our students and faculty and actively participate in the public humanities.
See Our Calendar of EventsContact Us
College of Arts and Humanities
cahdeansoffice@cnu.edu (757) 594-7170Fax: (757) 594-7113
McMurran Hall
Andrew J. Falk, PhD
Professor
Associate Dean of Humanities
Director of the Institute for Public Humanities
McMurran Hall
Profile