February 16, 2026 Award-winning journalists and podcasters Sam Harnett, left, and Chris Hoff are on a mission to travel the world and collect sounds that will transform our approach to humanities studies. They will bring their podcast series âThe World According to Sound: Ways of Knowingâ to ÂÜÀò”șapp (UAH) for three programs on Feb. 23, 2026, as part of UAHâs Humanities Week. The World According to Sound A podcast duo invites us to rethink the world through our ears instead of our eyes. An acclaimed scholar explores an American literary iconâs journey to the righteous fury of civil rights activism. And humanities researchers at ÂÜÀò”șapp (UAH) share the varied ways they examine people and cultures across time. Humanities Week 2026 offers this broad showcase of ideas and discoveries by guest and resident researchers Monday through Thursday, Feb. 23-26, in Morton Hall on the campus of UAH, a part of The University of Alabama System. Events are open to the ÂÜÀò”șapp community and the general public free of charge. If youâve ever wondered what humanities researchers do, this week will give you a glimpse, says Dr. Joseph Taylor, Humanities Center director and associate professor, UAH Department of English. âThe idea is to show students some of the things that our researchers do in the humanities, and the opportunities our students may have if theyâre interested in that kind of work, going to different places, studying different cultures domestically and abroad, learning different languages, working with different texts and materials, deeply analyzing the past as well as the present to inform ourselves about possible futures.â Learning through sound Award-winning journalists and podcasters Chris Hoff and Sam Harnett will bring their podcast series âThe World According to Sound: Ways of Knowingâ to UAH for three programs on Feb. 23: The âWays of Knowingâ interactive show puts the audience in total darkness, surrounded by loudspeakers, for an hour-long sonic trip. The World According to Sound A talk on âCosmic Visions: Intersections of the Humanities and Astronomy,â 1 p.m., Morton 292. A student workshop on podcasting, 4 p.m., Morton 292. Walk-ins are welcome, but please if possible to allow for better planning. Their interactive show, âWays of Knowing: A Sonic Celebration of the Humanities,â 6-7:30 p.m., Morton 292. Attendees are asked to . âWays of Knowingâ puts the audience in total darkness, surrounded by loudspeakers, for an hour-long sonic trip that will include the vibrations of the Golden Gate Bridge, footsteps of ants, and the sounds of 1930s Berlin and the Earthâs ionosphere. The podcasters promise âideas, essays, books, theories, contemporary research, all translated into soundscapes that challenge you to rethink the world through your ears.â Before collaborating on their podcast, Hoff was an audio engineer for public radio and podcasts, and Harnett was a reporter covering labor and technology. âThe World According to Soundâ was born out of their desire to create âa show that is all about sound instead of language and narrative.â They developed their âWays of Knowingâ series in partnership with such academic institutions as Johns Hopkins University, The University of Chicago and The University of Washington. James Baldwinâs fury Dr. Ed PavliÄ will present âJames Baldwin: A Radical Pursuitâ on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, at ÂÜÀò”șapp (UAH). SunÄana PavliÄ American writer James Baldwin had been writing about race relations in the United States long before the bombing of Birminghamâs Sixteenth Street Baptist Church on Sept. 15, 1963, but that horrific day transformed his level of activism. Acclaimed Baldwin scholar will discuss Baldwinâs works in the context of his trips to the Deep South in the 1950s and 1960s on Feb. 26 at 6 p.m. in Morton 145. PavliÄ, an award-winning writer in his own right, is the Distinguished Research Professor of English, African American Studies, and Creative Writing at the University of Georgia. His lecture at UAH, honors February as Black History Month on the ÂÜÀò”șapp campus and is the finale of Humanities Week. Reserve free seats at the event link. Everything else In between these programs, Humanities Week will feature several talks by UAH faculty members about their areas of research plus a College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHS) career presentation and a screening of the film âThe Shawshank Redemptionâ: Dr. Nicholaos Jones, chair of the Department of Philosophy and professor of philosophy, âAttending to Interdependence in Chinese Buddhismâ from his new book, Monday, 11:20 a.m., Morton 147 Dr. Nicole Pacino, director of Interdisciplinary Studies, coordinator of Womenâs, Gender and Sexuality Studies, and associate professor of History, âThe Case of Isabel Kelly: A Cultural Anthropologist Through an Historical Lens,â Tuesday, 11:20 a.m., Morton 292. Dr. Lillian Joyce, associate professor of Art History, âClytemnestra and the Furies: Women, Revenge, and the Revealed Breast on Roman Sarcophagi,â Tuesday, 1 p.m., Morton 293 Dr. Gray Kochhar-Lindgren, UAH Humanities Eminent Scholar Chair, âTransdisciplinary Experiments,â based on his new book, Wednesday, 12:30-1:30 p.m. This kicks off the launch party for Interdisciplinary Studies in the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHS). Nicole McDavid, college internship and career coordinator, hosts the CAHS Career Roundtable, Wednesday, 3-5 p.m., Morton 294. Screening of âThe Shawshank Redemption,â followed by commentary from Dr. Eric Smith, professor of English, based on his forthcoming book, âFiguring the Contemporary in U.S. Popular Cinema, 1967-2022,â Wednesday, 6 p.m., Morton 145. Dr. Alanna Frost, associate professor of English, âIn Order to âSay What We Sayâ: Archival Protocol that Attends to Indigenous Data Sovereignty,â Thursday, 11:20 a.m., Morton 293. For more information on the UAH Humanities Center and Humanities Week 2026, visit the UAH website. Learn More UAH Humanities Week 2026 College of Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences Humanities Center Contact Julie Jansen256.824.6926julie.jansen@uah.edu Ann Marie Martin(256) 824-5294âŹannmarie.martin@uah.edu