Villanova University Department of Humanities

In the Department of the Humanities at Villanova, we seek to enlighten the mind and transform the soul. In our program, your mind will be developed, disciplined, and deepened through an inquiry into the great human questions. Get a quick glimpse here: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXSlyUsPWRY&feature=youtu.be.) Then find out more by visiting our webpage (http://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/artsci/humanities.html)

We are thrilled to announce that Gabriel Calvo '21 CLAS has been awarded a John & Daria Barry Scholarship to support his graduate studies at Oxford University. This October, Gabe will begin reading for an MPhil in Theology at Oriel College, returning to the university where he studied at Blackfriars Hall during Hilary and Trinity terms 2020. The Barry Scholarship is "awarded in recognition of a student’s dedication to the academic vocation and the pursuit of truth" and "is c...urrently the most generous scholarship available for study at the University of Oxford." You can find out more about Gabe and the impressive 2021 scholarship cohort here: http://ow.ly/6tIw50ERkKi Gabe leaves Villanova as a double major (Honors Program) in Humanities and Philosophy. He's also "graduating" from four years as a student worker in our office, among many other hats he has worn so well at Villanova. We will miss you, Gabe, and are so excited for you to embark on this next chapter of the intellectual life. Be well and do good!

We are delighted to announce that Casey O'Donnell (CLAS '21), a double major in Humanities and Theology, is this year's winner of the Department of Humanities Senior Essay Prize! Her essay, "The Song of Creation: A Divine Love Song Transposed, retrieves a rich analogical exegesis of the natural world, ourselves, and our relationships. It's a beautiful celebration of Casey's undergraduate studies, spurred by her lifelong love of the movie The Sound of Music to the high peaks of literary and theological reflection in the company of C. S. Lewis, Karol Wojtyla, and others. Congratulations, Casey, and good luck as you embark your graduate studies in education at Villanova next year!

This coming academic year Dr. James Matthew Wilson will be on leave from Villanova University as he takes on the position as founding director of a new MFA program in Creative Writing at the University of Saint Thomas, Houston. The program will have a particular focus on the Catholic literary and intellectual tradition to which Dr. Wilson's own writing is such an important contribution. We wish Dr. Wilson all the best as he embarks on this new endeavor!

Still basking in the glow of an absolutely beautiful graduation day last Friday! Congratulations once again to our Humanities Class of 2021. We are so excited for your next steps!

Today is the day! Congratulations, Villanova Class of 2021!!! Pictured here are our wonderful cohort of Humanities graduates, who will be donning caps and gowns later today. Three cheers for the Immortal Diamonds of 2021!! We wish you all good things on the next step beyond Villanova

We are delighted to announce that Robert Bulka is this year's winner of the Karol Wojtyla Medallion for Academic Excellence in Humanities!! He's pictured here with Dr. Michael Tomko at Tuesday evening's CLAS Medallion Ceremony. Congratulations to Rob on four fine years of exemplary scholarship. We wish him all good things as he heads off to law school this fall