Grant will fund a new health humanities program at Hendrix.
Hendrix College received a $494,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation that will fund the creation of a new health humanities program to complement the existing pre-medical and health sciences programs.
“I am very excited to add this program to our already robust engaged learning opportunities available to Hendrix students,” said Hendrix Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost Teresa Garrett. “This program will not only provide students with courses, programs and engaged learning in the emerging field of the health humanities but will also positively impact health care in years to come for all Arkansans.
The grant will fund the development of a new health humanities program at Hendrix, including six health humanities courses and three interdisciplinary courses that bring humanities disciplines into dialogue with the natural and social sciences. It will also support student internships with community partners, engaged learning activities, service opportunities, and collaborative educational programs that link the classroom with the world. This new health humanities program will integrate with existing pre-medical and health sciences programs to provide Hendrix students with a scientifically rigorous, human-centered approach to health and healthcare.
“The growing field of health humanities has shown that the humanities disciplines have an essential role to play in human health and well-being,” said Dr. Robert Williamson, chair of humanities and professor of religious studies at Hendrix and the director of the health humanities grant. “For instance, the humanities can prepare doctors to be more attentive interpreters of patient stories, help caregivers grapple with the spiritual dimensions of illness and healing, or explore the benefits of music and dance for people with memory loss or mobility issues. By strengthening the connections between our exceptional humanities faculty and our top-tier pre-medical and health sciences program, this generous grant from the Mellon Foundation positions Hendrix to be a leader in human-centered health and healthcare education for Arkansas and the surrounding region.”
“Receiving support from the Mellon Foundation allows our students to explore careers in health-related fields with a more nuanced understanding of human health,” said Hendrix President Dr. Karen Petersen. “Hendrix College has a reputation for producing outstanding medical professionals and researchers because we provide a strong foundation in the humanities for all students. Mellon funding allows us to build on that foundation in new and exciting ways. Our communities will benefit from human-centered healthcare provided by our graduates as they enter the workforce in Arkansas and beyond for many years to come.”
About The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is the nation’s largest supporter of the arts and humanities. Since 1969, the Foundation has been guided by its core belief that the humanities and arts are essential to human understanding. The Foundation believes that the arts and humanities are where we express our complex humanity, and that everyone deserves the beauty, transcendence, and freedom that can be found there. Through our grants, we seek to build just communities enriched by meaning and empowered by critical thinking, where ideas and imagination can thrive. Learn more at mellon.org.
About Hendrix College
Founded in 1876, Hendrix College is featured in “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges” and celebrated among the country’s leading liberal arts colleges for academic quality, engaged learning opportunities and career preparation, vibrant campus life, and value. The Hendrix College Warriors compete in 21 NCAA Division III sports. Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. Learn more at www.hendrix.edu.
“… Through engagement that links the classroom with the world, and a commitment to diversity, inclusion, justice, and sustainable living, the Hendrix community inspires students to lead lives of accomplishment, integrity, service, and joy.” —Hendrix College Statement of Purpose