ACLS Hosts Regional Gathering at Duke University in North Carolina

On December 11, 2025, ACLS hosted a Regional Gathering at Duke University’s Nasher Museum of Art in North Carolina. The event was coordinated by Paul Jaskot, ACLS Delegate and member of the Executive Committee of the Delegates, and Leo Ching, ACLS Consortium Representative, and brought together more than 40 scholars, fellows, and deans.

Jaskot and Ching opened the gathering with welcoming remarks with acknowledgements of ACLS. Ching reflected on the connection between ACLS and Duke, noting that the goal of the event was to foster conversation and highlight the significance of fields and community of scholars in humanities and social science.

In a stirring conversation with ACLS President Joy Connolly about the current challenges facing academia, guests were encouraged to be bold in their defense of higher education, the humanities, and social sciences. Conolly shared a glimpse of the high-caliber research that ACLS is supporting today. Attendees expressed a commitment to ACLS values such as academic freedom, critical thinking, and the creation of knowledge that undergird our mission.

ACLS invites you to join us for upcoming regional gatherings in San Francisco on March 30, 2026 and Los Angeles on March 31, 2026.