NDSU’s Christina Weber will lead a yearlong project to help Fargo-Moorhead and North Dakota better understand what happens when soldiers return home after war.

Weber, a sociologist, received a $201,104 grant from the National Endowment of the Humanities. Weber and three other NDSU researchers will use the funding to:

·      Collect oral histories from veterans and their families. The oral histories will be used to establish an archive that the public and researchers can use.

·      Create a program where the community is invited to read and discuss a book related to the legacies of war.

·      Conduct writing and ceramics workshops for veterans and their families. The workshops will help participants explore different ways to tell their stories.

·      Facilitate a series of public forums and programs that allow veterans and families to share their stories and creative work with the community.

The project is called “Telling Stories, Creating Community: Understanding the Legacies of War at Home.” It was one of only 21 projects funded through the National Endowment of the Humanities’ new Humanities in the Public Square grant program.

Weber is associate dean in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and associate professor of sociology. Other NDSU faculty members involved in the project include:

·      Alison Graham-Bertolini, assistant professor of English and women and gender studies

·      Angela Smith, assistant professor of public history

·      Michael Strand, professor and head of visual arts

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