Jason Groves receives Simpson Center funding to establish an Interdisciplinary Research Cluster

Submitted by Stephanie N. Welch on

Jason Groves, together with Jesse Oak Taylor (English), have received funding from the Simpson Center to establish an Interdisciplinary Research Cluster on the topic of the Anthropocene for the academic year 2016/17. This cluster brings together scholars from across the humanities, social sciences, and sciences to discuss cutting edge research, engage with prominent visiting scholars, and visit field sites around the Pacific Northwest in order think both about the implications of the Anthropocene for research in the humanities and the role that humanistic scholarship can play in addressing those challenges both in our region and beyond. Literally translated as the “new age of man,” the Anthropocene is an informal designation for a proposed new geological epoch that would reflect the considerable role and scale of human influence on the earth system. The term has generated tremendous amount of academic attention (and controversy) in recent years and the cluster will work to engaged and further develop critical perspectives on the Anthropocene question. Cluster activities will include both a speaker series featuring prominent scholars and a reading group engaging current research into the Anthropocene origins, causes, and consequences. Field excursions to sites such as the Hanford Nuclear Reservation will provide further opportunities to think about post-industrial landscapes as sites of ecological renewal and community resilience. Anyone wishing to become involved or be notified of events is invited to contact Jesse Oak Taylor (jot8@uw.edu) or Jason Groves (jagroves@uw.edu).

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