by Elise Goitia '18

History Professor Catherine Denial received a Faculty Career Enhancement (FaCE) grant for a collaborative project that will develop new approaches to working with immigrant and refugee communities.

"At a time when immigration debates involve extremist action, we believe interdisciplinary community-based learning and research practices best recognize the humanity of all individuals, families, neighbors and co-workers affected by immigration," said Denial, Bright Professor of American History and chair of the department.

Denial will work with other Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) faculty members to learn the best practices for liberal arts colleges, encourage more scholarship for immigrants and refugees, and realize mutual benefits for newcomers, long-term residents, and college campuses.

"My role, with others, will be to model ways to work with immigrant communities from a variety of disciplinary perspectives," Denial commented. "It's a great opportunity to work with colleagues from all over the ACM."

Denial was first asked to join the project when the grant organizers saw an exhibit her students made three years ago about Irish, Swedish, and Mexican immigration into Galesburg. The exhibit was for Denial's Museums, Monuments, and Memory class.

"The community loaned us their photographs and were so generous in helping us accurately tell their history," she said. "The organizers felt it was a useful model for colleges looking for ways to work with the voices of immigrant communities."

The goals of FaCE projects are to engage faculty, identify and test new approaches that address current challenges faced by liberal arts colleges, and show plans to become sustainable by demonstrating the potential to be replicable on other campuses.

Supported by a $2 million grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, FaCE fosters a culture of innovation among ACM faculty in fulfilling their central educational role by funding joint research projects, teaching and learning collaborations, and other initiatives.

"My own goal (for this project) is to provide a forum for immigrants and refugees to tell their stories, and for others to learn more about the important history of the people with whom they live and work," she added.

"I'm thrilled to be a part of such an exciting venture, and to be working to amplify the voices of immigrants and refugees in ACM communities," Denial said.