The emerging trans-disciplinary field of Health Humanities explores and promotes relationships among the arts and humanities on the one hand and health and health care on the other. The substance, methods and passions of the humanities have the potential to transform health care for all by enhancing human connections, deepening the capacity for empathy, and improving our understanding of the cultural and social contexts in which health, illness, and care occur. At the same time, focusing on health and health care can reinvigorate and reveal new relevance for humanities scholarship and teaching in a society increasingly dominated by STEM fields.
Our Health Humanities initiatives have convened researchers, educators, and students from colleges and schools across campus to explore the crucial significance of stories and storytelling, to investigate how humanities training can advance inquiries into health disparities, and to address the roles played by racism and ableism, among other forms of discrimination, in health care. We have also sought to foster partnerships among researchers, practitioners, artists, and community organizations.
The Humanities Institute aims to establish a community of humanities scholars and medical professionals committed to defining the future of the Health Humanities at the University of Texas at Austin. To this end, HI has collaborated with
Dell Medical School, the Steve Hicks School of
Social Work, the College of
Natural Sciences, the department of
Public Health, the
UT Environmental Clinic, the College of
Communication, the College of
Pharmacy, the School of
Nursing, the
Bridging Disciplines Program in the College of Undergraduate Studies,
Planet Texas 2050, and other departments, colleges, and researchers on interdisciplinary events, workshops, and programs. For more information on these collaborations, please visit our
Health Humanities Events page and our related programs pages.
Health Humanities Programs & Initiatives
Current
Previous
Health & Humanities Team
Health Humanities Advisory Board
Dr. Phillip Barrish, Associate Director for Health & Humanities
Dr. Barrish oversees Health Humanities programming at the Humanities Institute and teaches Health Humanities courses to undergraduate, graduate, and medical students. You can read his full bio here.
Dr. Pauline Strong, Director of the Humanities Institute
Dr. Strong regularly teaches a class called Health and Culture and is heavily involved in the Humanities Institute’s Health Humanities programming. You can read her full bio here.
Madai Montes, Health & Humanities Assistant
Madai Montes is the Administrative Assistant for the Health & Humanities Initiative and staff member of the Native American & Indigenous Studies Program at UT. You can read her full bio here.
Alissa Williams, Program Assistant
Alissa Williams works most closely with the Humanities Institute's Health & Humanities initiative and is a recent May 2020 graduate from UT's Plan II Honors program. You can read her full bio here.
Looking for more upcoming Health Humanities events and lectures? Check the Health Humanities Events Page.
Related Programs
Distinguished Visiting Lecture Series 2016-2018
Cline Visiting Centennial Professorship 2016-2017
