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ReVisions: Celebrating 80 Years of American Studies

Event poster for "Revisions: Celebrating 80 Years of American Studies at Yale." The poster features a dark blue background with white and gold text. At the top, it reads "AMERICAN STUDIES AT YALE PRESENTS" followed by the large title "REVISIONS" in bold letters. Below states "CELEBRATING 80 YEARS OF AMERICAN STUDIES AT YALE" and "FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 2025 • 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM • LUCE HALL." At the bottom is the Yale University American Studies Program logo.

ReVisions: Celebrating 80 Years of American Studies

American Studies Thursday, December 11, 2025 - December 12, 2025 Tawes Hall
This past year marked the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Department of American Studies at UMD—one of the oldest and most eminent American Studies departments worldwide. To celebrate and commemorate this milestone, we held a two-day symposium called ReVisions: 80 Years of American Studies at the University of Maryland on December 11 – 12, 2025. 
 
See how we recalled our rich history, rejoiced in our accomplishments, and renewed our commitment to the future of American Studies throughout this two-day event. 
 

Day 1 : Thursday December 11th 

5:00 PM - First Book Forum: Debut Books by Alumni Authors all published in 2025 | Room 2115, Tawes Hall

Dr. Bimbola Akinbola (AMST PhD 2018), Assistant Professor of Performance Studies at Northwestern University and author of Transatlantic Disbelonging: Unruliness, Pleasure, and Play in Nigerian Diasporic Women’s Art (Duke University Press, 2025).
 

Dr. Michael Casiano (AMST PhD 2018 and BA in AMST in 2012), Assistant Professor of American Studies at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and author of Let Us Alone: The Origins of Baltimore's Police State (University of Illinois Press, 2025).

 
Dr. Jason Ezell (AMST PhD 2017), Head of Research and Learning Services at Cornell University and author of For a Spell: Sissie Collectivism and Radical Witchery in the Southeast (University of North Carolina Press, 2025).

 
Dr. Gabriel Peoples (AMST PhD 2016), Assistant Professor of Gender Studies at Indiana University Bloomington and author of Goin' Viral: Uncontrollable Black Performance (University of Illinois Press, 2025). 

 
Dr. Wendy M. Thompson (AMST PhD 2009), Associate Professor of African American Studies at San Jose State University and author of Black California Gold (Rutgers/Bucknell University Press, 2025). 
 

6:15 PM: First Book Breakout Sessions Led by authors, open to grad students

Location: Various rooms throughout Tawes Hall

  • TWS 1221 - Dr. Gabriel Peoples
  • TWS 2123 - Dr. Bimbola Akinbola
  • TWS 0201 - Dr. Wendy Thomson
  • TWS 1321 - Dr. Michael Casiano
  • TWS 1123 - Dr. Jason Ezell

 

7:15 PM: Dinner Reception | Room 2115, Tawes Hall

Day 2 : Friday December 12th  

10:30 AM - 12:00 PM - Life After Earning a B.A. in American Studies: Alumni Roundtable | Location: Ulrich Recital Hall (Auditorium), Tawes Hall

  • Kelechi Agbakwuru (AMST B.A. 2011)   Counsel, Fair Housing & Community Development Project, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
  • José Centeno-Meléndez (AMST B.A. and US Latino/a Studies Minor 2012) Oral Historian, Center for Restorative History & Archives Center, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of American History
  • Renee Davidson (AMST B.A. 2009) Vice President of Communications, Brady: United Against Gun Violence

Moderated by Asim Ali, Senior Lecturer and Director of Undergraduate Studies

 

12:00 PM - Lunch Reception |  Room 2115, Tawes Hall

 

All Afternoon Roundtables will be held in Ulrich Hall (Auditorium) in Tawes Hall

 

1:00 PM - Welcome Remarks by Dean Stephanie Shonekan, ARHU, Dr. Christina B Hanhardt, Chair AMST, and Dr. La Marr Jurelle Bruce, AMST

 

1:30 PM - Charm City Meets the Enchanted Woods: Race, Sex, Power & Placemaking 

Michael Casiano, Jason Ezell  |  Discussant: Milla Wu, AMST

 

3:00 PM - The Poetry of Space and the Space of Poetry: How Poets Write Home 

Wendy Thompson |  Discussant: Abdul Ali, AMST

 

4:00PM - Black Beyond Control: Unruly Art, Media & Play 

Bimbola Akinbola, Gabriel Peoples |  Discussant: Hannah Brancato, AMST

 

5:30 PM - RECALL.REJOICE.RENEW.  |  Room 2115, Tawes Hall

Open Forum + Farewell Dinner + Toast


You are welcome to RSVP at go.umd.edu/AMST80 , or drop in and join at any time throughout the symposium!

 
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Screenshot showing book titles by American Studies Alumni Jamila Moore-Pewu1088.00322.003 months 2 weeks ago
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Special Thanks to Our UMD Co-Sponsors

 

Organization

Website

http://go.umd.edu/AMST80

Cost

Free and Open to the Public 

Event Dates