Tanner Humanities Center at the University of Utah

The Tanner Humanities Centers supports innovative scholarly projects and creates opportunities for interaction among scholars, students, and lifelong learners. Our activities reflect a vision of the humanities as not only relevant, timely, stimulating, and cutting-edge, but also essential for developing critical thinking, tolerance, and respect at the University of Utah and in our community.

Research Support

Advancing research and knowledge in the humanities is central to our mission.  We offer faculty and student fellowships, sponsor faculty research projects and interest groups, hold a work-in-progress lecture series, and direct a Mormon Studies Initiative.

Public Lectures and Programs

We host multiple free or low cost public lectures, events, and programs yearly that give community members access to national and international speakers and artists and research-driven conversations.  We have hosted Nobel Laureates, National Book Award winners, Pulitzer Prize recipients, Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize winners, Dayton Literary Peace Prize recipients, and MacArthur Foundation “Geniuses.” We also offer Utah’s only National Theatre Live screenings at Broadway Centre Cinemas in partnership with the Salt Lake Film Society and run a Human Experience in Documentary Film series.

Faculty Outreach

We facilitate two programs that directly connect University of Utah faculty and students to the organizations, issues, and people that shape our community. Our Professors Off Campus program supports faculty collaborations with local organizations for meaningful public service, and our Gateway to Learning Educator Workshops offer K-12 Utah teachers rigorous professional development and continuing education courses every summer at the University of Utah.