About Us
Honors Faculty Catherine Wilkins
Cultural History | Community Engagement | Research
Dr. Catherine Wilkins is an interdisciplinary educator whose work explores how art, culture, and history shape the stories we tell about ourselves and the world we inhabit. As a faculty member in the Judy Genshaft Honors College at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus, she bridges academic research with community engagement — inviting students to experience the applied and inherent value of the humanities to solve problems and make a meaningful impact in our lives and those of others.
Environment, History, and Place-Based Learning
As a native Floridian, Professor Wilkins is passionate about our natural environment and local history, and exploring the relationship between the two — past and present. This interest manifests in courses such as From Middens to Mermaids, where field trips in the Tampa Bay area complement the study of literature, art, and music made in and about Florida, and both shed light on the historical, social, political, economic, and environmental realities of life in the Sunshine State. In other courses, her students have engaged in partnerships with organizations such as Heritage Village, the Gulf Beaches Historical Museum, and the city of Dunedin, helping them prepare and protect cultural resources from environmental threats.
Arts and Health
Another dimension of Professor Wilkins' research centers on the relationship between art and health, as explored through community-based projects and experiential learning. She and her students have partnered with organizations such as the Tampa Museum of Art, the James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art, and the Ringling Museum of Art to provide therapeutic interactions with visual arts that benefit providers and patients alike.
At the Judy Genshaft Honors College, Professor Wilkins teaches courses such as:
- How to Make History
- Healing Arts at the James Museum
- New Media, Art, and Culture
- From Middens to Mermaids: Florida, A Cultural History of Place
Honors and Recognition
A proud USF alumna, Dr. Wilkins earned her bachelor's degree in humanities before going on to complete an master's in art history and a PhD in interdisciplinary history at Tulane University. Her graduate studies included international research and fellowships at the Freie Universität Berlin and the Murphy Institute for Studies in Ethics and Public Affairs. Dr. Wilkins is the author of "Landscape Imagery, Politics, and Identity in a Divided Germany, 1968–1989" (Ashgate, 2013).
Her work has appeared in academic journals, including articles such as:
- “The Civic-Minded (Post)Graduate: Examining the Long-Range Benefits of Community-Engaged Service Learning.” Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education, (2025)
- "Tides of History: Utilizing Service-Learning to Prepare and Preserve Local Historical Resources for Climate Change.” Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, (2022)
- “’Where You Come From is Gone’: Reinhabiting the Ruins of the Native South.” Art Inquiries, (2019)
She has also co-published with Honors students, including:
- "Improving Interpersonal Communication Skills for Future Healthcare Professionals Through Undergraduate Experiential Education in the Arts.” Co-author Jontae Hohn and Rachel Zigelsky. Journal for Learning Through the Arts, (2023)
- “Spotlight on El-Zahrawi, Father of Modern Surgery.” Co-author Kareem Zuhdi, Ayesha Khan, Samaa El-Kolalli, Ayesha Anwer. Teaching and Learning in Medicine, (2023)
Dr. Wilkins believes cultural study is not just a window into the past, but a guide for creating more just and imaginative futures. In her classroom, students are empowered both to understand the world and to change it.
Contact: Dr. Catherine Wilkins