WMU establishes new Institute for Intercultural and Anthropological Studies
May 14, 2018
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—The Western Michigan University Board of Trustees has approved the instatement of a new Institute for Intercultural and Anthropological Studies. The institute, which will be housed in the College of Arts and Sciences, officially launches in fall 2018.
This degree-granting institute will provide students, faculty and members of the community with opportunities to participate in interdisciplinary research, experience collaborative instruction and engage in intercultural activities. It will be home to WMU’s existing undergraduate major and minor in anthropology, as well as the recently reinstated African American and African Studies major and minor. The institute may also serve as an administrative home for future interdisciplinary, intercultural programs in areas such as Latino/a and Latin American studies or indigenous peoples studies.
“We are delighted to launch the Institute for Intercultural and Anthropological Studies,” says Dr. Carla Koretsky, College of Arts and Sciences dean. “The institute will serve as a place in which WMU students, faculty, staff and community members can collaborate in their knowledge and exploration of these important programs. We are proud to offer an institute that aligns with our mission to ignite and sustain a passion for learning and discovery, while also preparing students to contribute to the betterment of our communities, from local to global.”
In addition to fostering collaborative teaching and learning in intercultural studies, the institute will provide co-curricular programming and a physical space in the University’s Moore Hall. The institute also intends to stimulate collaboration in research and creative activities related to interdisciplinary, intercultural studies.
Dr. Irma Lopez, professor of Spanish, will serve as the institute’s interim director for the 2018-19 academic year. The College of Arts and Sciences will launch a search for a permanent director in the fall.
Students interested in applying to programs within the Institute for Intercultural and Anthropological Studies may do so at wmich.edu/apply.
For more news from the WMU College of Arts and Sciences, visit wmich.edu/arts-sciences.