Alumni Engagement

Through his UChicago studies, Tim Cassedy learned to decipher a period’s cultural history through its newspapers, magazines, and popular novels. Now a university cultural historian, Cassedy has published an acclaimed first book, Figures of Speech: Six Histories of Language and Identity in the Age of Revolutions (2019). His UChicago mentor Eric Slauter said Cassedy’s book will “have an impact far beyond its field.”

Lauren Michele Jackson navigated two worlds: writing essays on pop culture for such publications as the New Yorker and the Atlantic and studying English at UChicago. Switching back and forth helped her feel like a more well-rounded person. Now on the tenure track at Northwestern University, Jackson said, “The way that I ask questions and approach inquiry—it’s very UChicago.”

Jacki Cooper Melmed shares how her UChicago English degree prepared her for a successful career in law. Melmed, now chief legal counsel to Colorado Governor Jared Polis, discusses her current work in public policy, her experiences as an attorney, and the events that led to her multiple career transitions. “Have faith that the work you’ve put in to develop your critical thinking skills will help, and you can take those with you everywhere,” she adds.  

University of Toronto archaeologist Timothy Harrison who has directed the Tayinat Archaeological Project since 2004, brings attention to the development of complex societies amid clashes in the Middle East. Through recent relics his team discovered, Harrison examines topics of cultural identity and conflict. “I think that we have intense relevance,” says Harrison as he emphasizes the role of humanists in current “grand challenges.”