Irish Studies Initiative
About the Irish Studies Initiative
USF Irish Studies Initiative Team
Dr. Liz Ricketts-Jones
Faculty Lead
USF Department of English
Hannah Thieryung
Irish Culture and Language Club President
USF Hurling Club President
Associate Members
Lulu Downing
Ph.D. Student
University of Western Michigan
Dr. Matthew Knight
Hesburgh Libraries Rare Books and Special Collections
University of Notre Dame
Dr. Jennifer Knight
Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies
University of Notre Dame
Mission Statement
Under the umbrella of the University of South Florida Humanities Institute, the Irish Studies Initiative unites scholars, educators, community stakeholders, and the USF and wider student community in interdisciplinary collaboration dedicated to the study of Irish history, language, literature, politics, religion, and other cultural expressions in Ireland and throughout the Irish diaspora. The Initiative is dedicated to nurturing lasting community partnerships, providing meaningful experiential-centered opportunities for students, fostering research and building collections, and developing Irish Studies-themed curricular opportunities.
Irish Studies Initiative Goals
- Provide community-engaged programming on Irish Studies topics of interest to both the wider community and the USF student body.
- Maintain existing community partnerships with the Irish Consulate and the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians and seek new community partnerships with the Irish community in Florida and beyond.
- Continue to grow Irish Studies research collections and invite national and international Irish Studies scholars to consult USF research holdings.
- Supplement existing curricular offerings with Irish Studies topics and develop new courses across academic departments.
- Build an open-access repository of Irish Studies curricular materials for instructors of numerous disciplines to enhance their courses and/or build new courses, fostering opportunities for national and international collaboration within the field.
- Create a student-centered space within the Humanities Institute for collaboration with faculty across disciplines, mentorship, and community.