Humanities Chair's Message

When Penn State College of Medicine opened its doors in 1967, the Department of Humanities was one of its founding departments, the first humanities department to be included in a college of medicine in the United States.

The Department of Humanities reflects the rich history of medical humanities. The first two Humanities chairs were trained in religious studies and original faculty were literary scholars and philosophers. Our current faculty are trained in a variety of disciplines, including anthropology, literature, clinical medicine, ethics, cultural studies, women’s and gender studies, Asian Studies, and science and technology studies. Collectively, we pursue scholarship to advance knowledge, improve teaching, and contribute to our community on local, national, and international levels.

The Department of Humanities is all around you. Join us as we advance humanism in medicine and society.

Bernice L. Hausman, PhD
Garner James Cline Professor of Humanities in Medicine
Chair, Department of Humanities
Penn State College of Medicine