
Student Snapshot: Emerlee Simons ’24
Meet Emerlee Simons ’24, an All-American student-athlete, Baird Sustainability Fellow and Dialogues Across Differences student-coordinator.
American studies is an innovative field of study that looks at the American past and present through an interdisciplinary lens. Students in the major draw upon concepts and methods developed in history, literature, sociology, philosophy, political science, anthropology, art history and music in their analyses of various American social, cultural and political phenomena.
American studies majors are critical thinkers who are able to analyze a variety of texts (such as the visual arts, novels, films, sports, advertising and popular music) and to investigate how these texts reflect or challenge dominant conceptions of identity and power. The American studies curriculum has a strong transnational focus, emphasizing that “America” does not stop at the borders of the United States.
At Dickinson, the Department of American Studies offers both a major and a minor. Students take core courses in American studies and draw other coursework from across the curriculum. Each American studies student has a unique program given coherence through the core American studies courses and through careful planning and advising. Required courses within and outside the department address four key areas of study: history, representation, structures & institutions and literature.
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“As a current graduate level student, I can easily see how well American Studies prepared me academically to engage in my new curriculum. The critical thinking, writing skills, and ability to read closely and make connections are all skills that I attribute to my experiences in American Studies, and have been critical to my success in my graduate program.”
—Matt Wenz ’17
Meet Emerlee Simons ’24, an All-American student-athlete, Baird Sustainability Fellow and Dialogues Across Differences student-coordinator.
"It's unbelievably satisfying to see all of the historical threads fall into place." Meet Sam Neuburger '24, who's pursuing a passion for culinary history and food writing.
"Thanks to Dickinson’s brilliant professors, my understanding of the world around me has deepened considerably,” says Arwyn Forbes ’25, a House Divided and Knowledge for Freedom intern.
“The community fosters a spirit of hard work because students are supported.” Meet Weiss Prize recipient Brianna Weber ’24 and learn about the classes that inspire her work.
With $800,000 in funding from the Mellon Foundation, Dickinson will launch a center and academic program in Native American and Indigenous studies.
Meet Imogene Gross ’22, an American studies major and transfer student who researched teen-tragedy and emo music at Dickinson.