Medievalitas

Did a short interview for Campus Insights Media on "Why Homer's Odyssey Still Resonates Nearly 3,000 Years Later." "Nearly 3,000 Years Later Christopher Nolan's upcoming adaptation of The Odyssey has renewed interest in one of the world's most enduring stories. Richard Utz, professor and senior associate dean in Georgia Tech's Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, explains why Homer's epic poem is considered difficult to adapt for film, how modern audiences can connect with its

"On Thursday, June 18, 2026, the wire services carried the sad news that Sherwood Forest’s Major Oak had died. Long ailing and suffering from multiple misguided attempts to preserve it that only hastened its demise, the oak was the stuff of legend, in no small part because of its association with yet another legend, that of Robin Hood, who was said to have hidden his treasure and maybe even himself in the tree’s hollow. Estimated to be anywhere from 800 to 1200 years old, the

Wonderful opportunity to represent Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts at the inauguration of the exhibit, Spain and Hispanics in the Independence of the USA, with Georgia Tech's President Ángel Cabrera just the 'right' person to deliver the welcoming remarks. The exhibit can be visited in the East Gallery of the Ferst Center. More information HERE.

I wrote a short piece on the automatic and performative critique of the Norwegian soccer team's PR photo for the World Cup, which shows them self-mockingly in Viking garb. Please find it HERE. VIKINGS SACK LINDISFARNE! -- AGAIN?

On June 2, 2026, Atla and EBSCO hosted a webinar titled “Humanizing STEM: How the Humanities Are Transforming Research, Teaching, and the Future of Higher Education.” This webinar featured guest speaker Richard Utz, Senior Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives in the College of Liberal Arts at Georgia Teach, with discussion moderated by John Kutsko, Atla’s Executive Director. Growing evidence supports the idea that humanities-integrated STEM education benefit learners and

TODAY: I attended meetings at SeedAI, with partnering organizations Workday and Georgia Tech, of AI Across America: Atlanta, a forum exploring how AI-powered tools can accelerate skills-based hiring in Georgia, making it a top state for both business and talent. The event brought together key decision makers from Georgia's Fortune 500 employers, state government, higher education institutions, as well as other thought leaders, to contemplate why businesses are turning to skil

06/02/2026 | 2:00pm ET CTA: Register for webinar #TalkAboutHumanities About As higher education faces rapid technological change, emerging evidence shows that integrating the humanities—including theology and religious studies —with STEM disciplines leads to stronger educational outcomes, more creative research, and more effective professionals. In this EBSCO & Atla webinar, Richard Utz, Senior Associate Dean in Georgia Tech’s Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, makes the cas

Senator Warnock All around wonderful events, with Senator Raphael Warnock as commencement speaker and my undergraduate research assistant, Haley Armor, graduating; my graduate assistant, Kimberly Velez, as reflection speaker at the MS College ceremony; and John Tien speaking to the newly commissioned Army Second Lieutenants. Great events to sum up our semester and academic year. Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts Leaders

A great opportunity to speak with two wonderful colleagues from the Geogia Tech Library: Fred Rascoe (Scholarly Communication & Engineering Librarian) and Alex McGee (Head of Archives & Special Collections), in a convo for WREK Atlanta's Lost in the Stacks podcast (here is the version sans music). The topic: "Crisis is our Natural Habitat," about the current and past iterations of the humanities (and the role of libraries) in higher education. I loved the convo as well as th

The world faces complex problems that demand more than just technical solutions. Climate change, ethical dilemmas in technology, social inequality, and rapid cultural shifts require a blend of skills and perspectives. Traditionally, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and liberal arts have been treated as separate domains. Yet, combining these fields can create a powerful approach to solving today’s challenges. A recent article I wrote for University Busi

Project: Atlanta Black Theatre Festival Great atmosphere and strong projects this morning during the final showcase for students in Dr. Allegra Smith's "Content Strategy" (LMC 3415) class in Skiles 302. The students shared their research, writing, and website design and social media content developed in concert with six nonprofits: The Atlanta Black Theatre Festival Lostintheletters NEST4US RE:IMAGINE ATL The TADA Foundation The Suzi Bass Awards These organizations meet a v

Taylor Witte, President Cabrera, and Ivan Allen College Associate Dean Shatakshee Dhongde Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera Privileged to attend a reception honoring one of our Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts Student, Taylor Witte (ECON), Georgia Tech's Truman Scholar. Another sure sign that our liberal arts college attracts and educates some of the best and brightest. President Ángel Cabrera joined us at the celebration.

Wonderful creativity at display during today's Demo Day at the Digital Media program, part of the School of Literature, Media, and Communication, in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts at Georgia Tech. Some quick impressions below: Student projects Magerko in convo Michael Nitsche conjuring up interactivity

Thrilled to represent Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts faculty (TT & NTT) who reached the highest ranks attainable (full professor & Principal Lecturer/Academic Professional). Our successful colleagues included: Melissa Foulger (LMC), Jillann Hertel (LMC), Kathrin Köppe (ML), André Brock (LMC), Susana Morris (LMC), Cecilia Montes-Alcalá (ML), Zach Taylor (SPP), and Larry Rubin (INTA). I take full credit for having hired and 'accompanied' most of the now promoted LMC faculty

The fall 2026, volume 33, issue 2, of Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Teaching (SMART) entitled Teaching the Middle Ages and the Renaissance to STEM Students, is in print and in the mail to subscribers and issue contributors. A huge word of thanks my extraordinary co-editor, Lainie Pomerleau, and to Kristi Bixby, the SMART managing editor! And of course to the contributors, for sharing their insights and scholarship with all of us. The articles in this issue of SMART com

Georgia Tech's Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts recently hosted leaders of seven other liberal arts units at technological universities to discuss our similarities, differences, and future goals. Participants all brought with them answers to the following questions: What’s your basic data set: how many subunits, faculty, degree programs, undergraduate and graduate students, in relationship to your institution? What’s your unit’s current status within your institutional st

Once again, a meaningful and moving ceremony for this year's award winning ROTC students from Navy and Air Force. Happy to represent Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

This spring, we moved the semesterly tradition of the Hall Scholar Breakfast to the Alumni House to celebrate Col. Steven and Pamela Hall's philanthropy, financial and mentoring support that smoothes the path of so many of our undergraduate students. The current President of the Georgia Tech Alumni Association, Dene Sheheane (Mgt '91), greeted our guests.

Participated in Saturday's spring 2026 meeting of the Georgia Medieval Group , expertly hosted by Elizabeth Keohane-Burbridge and Leah Haught at the University of West Georgia. It included contributions by professors and students. My own presentation sought to challenge the dominant tendency in medievalism studies to treat all nostalgic engagements with the Middle Ages as inherently complicit in colonial, supremacist, or ethnonationalist ideologies. Engaging Scott Riley’s 202

Published in The Medieval Review , 3/16/2026 Riley, Scott Corbett. New World Medievalisms. The Middle Ages in the American Cultural Imaginary . Medievalism, 31. Woodbridge: D. S. Brewer, 2025. Pp. vi, 181. £85.00. ISBN: 978-1-84384-678-9. Reviewed by Richard Utz Georgia Institute of Technology richard.utz@lmc.gatech.edu According to Scott Riley, U.S. medievalisms “tend to resemble European colonial rather than anti-colonial discourses,” invoking the Europe