Michael Graziano, professor of religious studies at the University of Northern Iowa, was awarded a $10,000 seed grant from Whiting Foundation for the 2020-21 Whiting Public Engagement Program Funding. Graziano is one of eight seed grant recipients for public humanities projects. His Iowa Religious Literacy (IRL) project aims to help Iowa public school teachers navigate religion in both curriculum and the classroom, which includes a development seminar.
Nominated by the AAR’s Committee on the Public Understanding of Religion (CPUR), Graziano’s project will bring the academy, public school teachers, and community of Iowa together as a means of development, enrichment, and mentoring for teaching about religion. Jurors described his proposal as an “impressive, well-conceived project, with a deeply developed, overall strategy and practical plan.” Others acknowledged the “clear evidence for successful execution” with a “targeted audience already in place.
Jurors were Simeon Ilesamni, committee member and the Washington M. Wingate Professor, Department for the Study of Religions, Wake Forest University; Terrence Johnson, committee member, Director of Graduate Studies and Associate Professor of Religion, Georgetown University; and Irene Oh, Associate Professor, Department of Religion and Director, Peace Studies Program, George Washington University.
March 30, 2020 is the deadline to submit applications to be nominated for 2021-22 Whiting Foundation funding. Read about the nomination process or contact Marion Pierre at mpierre@aarweb.org for more information.