Department of Humanities
The Department of Humanities is committed to connecting students with the enduring value of the humanities — the study of human cultural expressions in art, history, languages, literatures, writing, and philosophy across the globe.
Studying Humanities at Simmons
In addition to learning the humanistic skills of critical thinking, reading, writing, and speaking, students will develop an appreciation of the diversity of social, cultural, moral, and aesthetic values in human experience. A humanities-based education provides students with multiple career capabilities that are vital for our increasingly complex world.
Humanities Faculty and Staff
Chair
Wanda Torres Gregory
Professor and Department Chair
Full-time Faculty
Richard Balzano
Assistant Teaching Professor
Renee Bergland
Professor
Steve Berry
Associate Professor
Danisa Bonacic
Associate Professor
Diane Grossman
Professor
Alister Inglis
Professor
Colleen Kiely
Professor
Sarah Leonard
Associate Professor and Graduate History Program Director
Yunxin Li
Assistant Professor
Cathryn Mercier
Professor and Graduate Program Director of Children's Literature
Helen Popinchalk
Assistant Teaching Professor and Director, Trustman Art Gallery and University Art Collection
Farooz Rather
Associate Professor of Practice
Patrick Sylvain
Assistant Professor
Part-time Faculty
Shelley Isaacson
Assistant Teaching Professor
Katherine Magyarody
Assistant Teaching Professor
Department of Humanities in the News
Edwidge Danticat Explores Being Alone Together
The award-winning author Edwidge Danticat was the speaker at the annual Robert M. Gay Memorial Lecture. Danticat read excerpts from her recent work and engaged the Simmons community in a conversation about solitude, community, and memory.
Artist-Scholar Integrates Politics, Poetry, and Race
Assistant Professor of Humanities Patrick Sylvain is a literary scholar and poet whose intellectual curiosity knows no bounds. His work explores the issues of nationhood, leadership, race, and (de)colonization. In conjunction with Black History Month 2025, we spoke with him about Haitian politics, poetry, and zombies.
Two Simmons Faculty Members Receive North Star Fellowships
Samuel Odom from the School of Social Work and Don Simmons from the School of Library and Information Science, have been named fellows by the North Star Collective Faculty Fellowship, which is designed to promote supportive community and racial healing for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) faculty members across New England.
Simmons Linked to 2024 Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards
The 2024 Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards Ceremony was held on November 24 at the Boston Public Library, where Cathryn Mercier, Professor and Graduate Program Director of Children's Literature, reflected on her role as a judge.
2024 Simmons Faculty Awards Celebrates Stellar Researchers and Educators
Simmons faculty from various disciplines received awards in undergraduate and graduate teaching, research, service, and a commitment to DEI at the 2024 Faculty Awards.
Award-Winning Illustrator Roger Mello Visits Simmons
Brazilian illustrator Roger Mello visited the Simmons campus for a presentation in Professor Cathryn Mercier’s Picturebook class.
Children’s Literature Professor Helps Select Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Winners
The Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards “recognize and reward excellence in literature for children and young adults.” As the School Library Journal reported, Professor and Graduate Program Director of Children’s Literature Cathryn Mercier chaired a group of judges who determined the 2024 awardees.
Congratulations to the 2024 SURPASs Scholars
Twelve undergraduate scholars from different disciplines have been selected to join the Summer Undergraduate Research Program at Simmons (SURPASs), a highly competitive, fully funded research and mentorship program. During this six week intensive, students will work with a faculty mentor to execute an independent research project of their own design and development.
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Department of Humanities
The Department of Humanities is committed to connecting students with the enduring value of the humanities — the study of human cultural expressions in art, history, languages, literatures, writing, and philosophy across the globe.