USD’s College of Arts and Sciences receives one of two prestigious NEH grants awarded in San Diego

SAN DIEGO – Following a rigorous and highly competitive review process, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) selected USD associate history professor Dr. Thomas Barton to receive a $60,000 fellowship, one of the largest NEH research grants ever received by USD’s College of Arts and Sciences. 

The grant will fund a twelve-month research leave to support the completion of Dr. Barton’s third book, From the Hands of the Infidels: The Christianization of Islamic Landscapes in Premodern Europe.

The book seeks to enhance our understanding of European expansionism during the high and late Middle Ages by exploring how the invading Christians within Iberia, established their ecclesiastical institutions and networks on territories wrestled from Muslim control through the formation of dioceses, parishes, and monastic houses.

“I’m so grateful to the College of Arts and Sciences and the Office of Sponsored Programs for supporting me with my application. The fact that the National Endowment for the Humanities is willing to fund researchers at a teacher-scholar institution like USD speaks volumes about how much our research profile has grown over the years.” Said Dr. Barton.

Dr. Noelle Norton, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences echoed the excitement. “Grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities are rare, but we're not surprised that Dr. Barton was selected. His research is stellar."

For more than fifty years, the NEH, an independent federal agency, has underwritten hundreds of the nation’s most significant humanities projects through its fellowship programs. This year, NEH awarded a total of $14.8 Million for 253 humanities projects nationwide, which represents only eight percent of the Fellowship proposals received.

About the University of San Diego

Strengthened by the Catholic intellectual tradition, we confront humanity’s challenges by fostering peace, working for justice and leading with love. With more than 8,000 students from 75 countries and 44 states, USD is among the Top 20 Best Private Schools for Making an Impact according to The Princeton Review. USD’s eight academic divisions include the College of Arts and Sciences, the Knauss School of Business, the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, the School of Law, the School of Leadership and Education Sciences, the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, and the Division of Professional and Continuing Education. In 2021, USD was named a “Laudato Si’ University” by the Vatican with a seven-year commitment to address humanity’s urgent challenges by working together to take care of our common home.