LEXINGTON, Ky. — The University of Kentucky Gaines Center for the Humanities is accepting faculty proposals for the 2028 Mary C. Bingham Seminar, an innovative program that combines classroom instruction with experiential travel for undergraduate students.

The Bingham Seminar allows faculty to develop and teach a special topics humanities course outside the university's standard curriculum while giving students opportunities to explore subjects through firsthand experiences across the United States and internationally. The selected seminar will be offered during Spring 2028 as a 300-level course limited to no more than 10 students admitted through competitive application.

The Gaines Center, which has supported innovative humanities education since its founding in 1984, provides substantial financial support for the program. Faculty members receive a $4,000 research and study grant, up to $2,000 in travel support and up to $2,000 to host a Thomas D. Clark Lecturer whose public presentation complements the seminar. Students selected for the course receive a $1,000 travel scholarship. The seminar meets throughout the semester, with travel taking place during spring break or shortly after final exams in early May.

Recent seminars have explored diverse topics. The 2026 seminar examined sustainable design and its impact on global economies in post-mining Appalachian communities and France, led by Rebekah Radtke, associate professor in the College of Design. In 2024, Abigail Firey taught "Empire of the Goths," and in 2022, Daniel Vivian led "Slavery in American Memory."

"The Gaines Center gave me the resources to build my dream course, and it's been one of the highlights of my career," Radtke said. "The students and Gaines Center staff were the best part of the experience because their creativity and hard work made the seminar so fun and fulfilling."

Faculty applications are due Oct. 5. More information and materials are available at gaines.uky.edu/programs/bingham-seminar. Questions may be directed to Gaines Center program coordinator Catherine Brereton at catherine.brereton@uky.edu or 859-257-1537.