Faculty Publications

Humanities scholar analyzes racial perceptions through architecture and home ownership

Dancers from Kuumba Lynx Youth perform at the opening celebration of the APL Arts Lawn on Oct. 7, 2023. Photo by Anjali Pinto

Assoc. Prof. Adrienne Brown’s groundbreaking research connects the architecture of skyscrapers and the propaganda of home ownership to key transformations in race’s perception. She finds strong evidence to support her argument in political, organizational, and literary sources of the 20th century, with culprits as varied as politicians like Herbert Hoover, organizations such as the National Association of Realtors, and writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Her first book, The Black Skyscraper: Architecture and the Perception of Race (2017), shows the skyscraper’s influence on the shape of modern U.S. cities and the racial perceptions of its residents. For Brown’s insights, her first book won the Modernist Studies Association’s 2018 First Book Award. Her new book, Residential Is Racial: A Perceptual History of Mass Ownership (2024), is equally groundbreaking as she discusses how mass homeownership changed the definition, perception, and value of race in the U.S.

Meet the Staff: Eduardo Suh-Chavez

Headshot of Eduardo Suh-Chavez

More than 100 staff members work in the Division of the Humanities. We’ll introduce you to our staff in this continuing series.

Eduardo Suh-Chavez
Business Operations Manager
Office of Language Assessment
University of Chicago Language Center

What do you like most about your job?

It would be the people I work with. If I had to use one word to describe those individuals, it would be “innovative.” We support one another in ways I find to be rare in the typical workplace. The Chicago Language Center was founded by strong advocates of language learning, which is essential to everything we do in the Office of Language Assessment. This type of advocacy and collaboration truly fosters a culture of openness and innovation that I find exciting and sustainable.

What was the last good book you read?

I just finished The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah. The author is a wonderful storyteller. However, it does include some disturbing scenes. If you ever wondered just how difficult it was to live as a teenage girl in rural Alaska in the 1970s, I’d highly recommend it.

You might work with me if …

You are a language instructor, a language learner, or just a language enthusiast. While I mainly focus on language assessment, my job reaches to nearly every department on campus and beyond. Whether I’m reaching out for academic texts in your discipline to build an exam or collaborating to expand our innovative language programs, you’ll likely hear from me at some point or another.

What's the most unexpected skill or hobby you picked up recently?

Running. And trust me when I say this is a skill. I’ve hated running my entire life despite being physically active. During the past year, however, I decided to train for a marathon. Through this experience, I’ve learned a lot about my body and mental strength. Through learning how to run long distance, I have discovered many lifelong lessons, and I’m still just beginning my journey. It is such an admirable sport, and I am so lucky to have found it.

UChicago fourth-year student named 2025 Rhodes Scholar

UChicago student Francesco Rahe named 2025 Rhodes scholar

Francesco Rahe, a fourth-year student in the College at the University of Chicago, has been selected as a 2025 Rhodes Scholar. He will pursue a master’s degree in classical Indian religions at Oxford University this fall and is particularly interested in translating Sanskrit texts.

He is the 55th student from the University of Chicago to be named a Rhodes Scholar. Fourth-year College student Anqi Qu was named a Rhodes Scholar for South Africa last week.

“It means an immense amount to have received this opportunity,” said Rahe, who is majoring in fundamentals and religious studies. “I’m honestly a little stunned, but I also am trying to focus on making good on this opportunity. It’s a gift, but it also comes with responsibilities. I want to make sure what I do in the future is able to repay this thousand-fold.”

Norman Maclean biography uncovers personal stories of beloved UChicago author

UChicago alumna Rebecca McCarthy, AB'77, wrote a new biography of her professor Norman Maclean. Photo by Clara McCarthy

The late Norman Maclean was many things: the most decorated teacher of undergraduates in UChicago history; author of the first original work of fiction published by the University of Chicago Press; and a sage to literary-minded anglers the world over.

Until now, however, Maclean, PhD’40, was not the subject of a biography. Rebecca McCarthy, AB’77, has changed that with the publication of "Norman Maclean: A Life of Letters and Rivers" (University of Washington Press).

Unraveling the ancient past one tablet at a time

Fourth-year student Danielle Levy said her work studying cuneiform tablets written in Akkadian and Sumerian helped her learn about the ancient languages--and the stories and people associated with them. Photo by Jason Smith

In the half-dark of a third-floor office, Danielle Levy lifted a clay tablet out of its box. Carefully examining it with gloved hands, she explained how 3,500 years ago, a student in the ancient city of Nippur had copied a teacher’s cuneiform script—and smudged any mistakes smooth with their fingertips.

Ancient objects each tell their own unique stories, the University of Chicago undergraduate has learned. Through her work on Akkadian—the language of ancient Babylonia—the fourth-year student has discovered her passion for uncovering and sharing its unique history.

Media Mentions October 2024

The latest media mentions, quotes, profiles, and writings from Division of the Humanities faculty, students, staff, and alumni. Visit us on X, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Facebook for more updates.

Organized Looting Is Dispersing Islamic Heritage
New Lines Magazine
Cecilia Palombo (Middle Eastern Studies) co-authored this article on the organized looting of Islamic artifacts, providing insights into their historical and cultural significance while highlighting the detrimental impact of the illicit antiquities trade on Islamic heritage.

More than any other artist working today, Theaster Gates — ceramist, urbanist, archivist, sculptor — has earned the title “multidisciplinary.”
The New York Times Style Magazine
Theaster Gates (Visual Arts) is featured in this article for his multidisciplinary practice that bridges art, community, and urban development. He restores buildings on Chicago's South Side, preserving Black cultural archives and creating spaces for art and community. His vision to revitalize disinvested areas exemplifies his model of an artist as an active shaper of the city's cultural and physical landscape.

These notorious Roman emperors became ghostly legends
National Geographic
Shadi Bartsch-Zimmer (Classics) was mentioned in this article about the haunting legacy of notorious Roman emperors. She noted that Nero’s interests in performing arts, seen as dishonorable by Romans, likely led historians to portray him as a “master of pretense.” This characterization has contributed to the enduring, dark legends surrounding Nero.

Meet the Staff: Sarah Hill

Photo of Sarah Hill in Istanbul

More than 100 staff members work in the Division of the Humanities. We’ll introduce you to our staff in this continuing series.

Sarah Hill
Department Manager
Middle Eastern Studies

What do you like most about your job?

I like so many things about my job. I like that I get to do something different every day, and that I work in so many areas of the department and with many different people. I find it to be very engaging, and I’ve learned so much in the two and half years I’ve been here. The most rewarding part of my job, however, is working with students. I like helping a student overcome an administrative hurdle, solve an issue, or just celebrate their success with them. It’s wonderful being able to see students grow into scholars and know I’ve played even a small role in helping them get there.

What was the last good book you read?

I read Agatha Christe’s Murder on the Orient Express recently, which I liked all right. I thought I was smart and had solved the mystery, but then I remembered I had seen the movie a few years ago. I think the last book I enjoyed reading was Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. I thought it was going to be a silly vacation read, but I ended up really loving it. The characters were so likeable, and the story was captivating.  

You might work with me if …

You’re an Middle Eastern Studies student and have questions about your degree milestones or need help navigating an administrative issue. Or, if you’re a prospective student or want to take courses in our department. You might also work with me if you’re a faculty member and need administrative support. And if you’re a department administrator, I’d encourage you to work with me. When I first began my position, I found navigating the university both overwhelming and challenging.

Each department does things differently, but I think we can all be a good resource and support system for each other.

Howard Aronson, advocate for study of Slavic and non-Slavic languages, 1936-2024

UChicago scholar Howard Aronson

Prof. Emeritus Howard “Howie” Aronson, who built the foundation for the University of Chicago to become a major hub for research in Balkan and Caucasian languages, passed away in Chicago on Oct. 26. He was 88.

In his four-decade career at UChicago, Aronson advocated for the study of Slavic languages and linguistics—and for the incorporation of indigenous and non-Slavic languages of the former Soviet Union into the field. A leading expert in both Balkan and Caucasian languages and linguistics, he particularly focused his scholarship on Bulgarian and Georgian. Aronson also contributed to the study of Russian, English, Yiddish, among others.

Werewolf books and movies that make us more human

Actor Lon Chaney Jr. on the set of The Wolf Man (1941) Photo by Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images

A full moon rises. A howl pierces the air. At the University of Chicago, a new course explores how scary stories of wolfish transformations can spring from our deepest anxieties about being human. 

In “The Werewolf in Literature and Film,” a new College course offered by the Department of Comparative Literature, students explore the fuzzy boundaries between animal and human across time and media. The class is taught by seventh-year doctoral candidate David Delbar, a self-described “amateur lycanthropologist.”