The West Virginia University Humanities Center is proud to host historian and journalist, Dr. David Perry, for a day of events focused on the importance of scholars and experts in going public with their research and showing them how to get started. An essential part of the core mission of higher education, public engagement is more important than ever. And academics—experts in so many subjects—need to be part of the conversation.
As a medieval historian, Perry was irritated about how the media was reporting on the retirement of Pope Benedict XVI in 2013. Too many outlets were missing key facts, so he wrote an op-ed for CNN about it. Now, with over 600 published essays, Perry is fully committed to public-facing work in a wide range of fields, from history to disability, politics, mental health, parenting, gender, and many more.
The Humanities Center invites you to join Dr. David Perry on Tuesday, October 14, where he will share his expertise to show us how to go public with our scholarship and make it count toward promotion and tenure.
For the day’s main event, Perry will talk about the vital role of the scholar and expert in this fraught moment, arguing that more of us should try to work as public scholars. Drawing from his own experiences, Perry will demonstrate what we need to learn to adapt our expertise and practices to meet new audiences where they are, and hopefully, bring them along for the journey.
Prior to his lecture, Perry will lead a small interactive workshop to help participants reframe their expertise in ways that are compelling for both readers and, critically, the editors who decide whether or not to commission and publish their work—all while remaining true to their work and goals. The workshop will challenge attendees to use one or more of their personal or academic ideas for a public-facing writing project. He will supply templates for both essays and pitches to editors. Attendees who participate will apply new skills to their own writing during the workshop and get feedback over lunch.
Attendance at this hands-on writing workshop requires registration and seats are limited.
Perry is the Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies in the History Department at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. He received his PhD at Minnesota in 2006 and was a professor of medieval history at Dominican University from 2007-2017, writing scholarly articles and a book focused on the history of medieval Venice. His essays have appeared in dozens of outlets, including The New York Times, CNN, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and The Guardian. He is the co-author, with Matthew Gabriele, of The Bright Ages: A New History of Medieval Europe and Oathbreakers: The War of Brothers that Shattered an Empire and Made Medieval Europe. His next books are The Public Scholar: A Practical Handbook (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2026) and Men: A History of the Idea (Basic Books, expected 2027).
This programming is made possible with financial assistance from the WVU Eberly College of Arts and Sciences and the WVU College of Creative Arts and Media.