Alain-Philippe Durand to Deliver Lecture as Part of the Class of 1963 Scholars in Residence Program Durand’s talk “Contrarian Humanities Entrepreneurs” will be held Jan. 29 in Northen Auditorium.

By Brian Laubscher
January 5, 2026

Alain-Philippe Durand, Dorrance Dean of the College of Humanities at the University of Arizona, will present a public lecture titled “Contrarian Humanities Entrepreneurs” at 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29 in Northen Auditorium. The talk, which is free and open to the public, will be followed by a reception to be held in Leyburn Library, Room 128.

Durand is visiting Washington and Lee University as part of the Class of 1963 Scholars in Residence Program, supported by the Provost’s Office and the College. In addition to his scheduled lecture, Durand will also participate in Professor Genelle Gertz’s class titled Having it All: Life, Literature and Career, and will lead a faculty workshop on the recruitment of humanities scholars. Faculty interested in participating in the workshop are encouraged to RSVP online.

“Dean Durand is a leading spokesperson for the arts and humanities, and we are thrilled he’s bringing his expertise to W&L,” said Gertz, who serves as associate dean of strategic initiatives and Thomas H. Broadus Professor of English. “Our students and faculty will benefit greatly from his knowledge of how the skills learned in fields like philosophy, French and literature are crucial to both professional development and a meaningful, impactful life. He has overseen immense growth in humanities study at the University of Arizona and we are eager to learn from him about how to strengthen the arts and humanities on our own campus.”

The humanities are often misunderstood as outdated or disconnected from practical outcomes. Durand’s talk will offer a powerful counter-narrative, highlighting how innovative scholars and educators are revitalizing the humanities through interdisciplinary collaboration, new approaches and real-world engagement. He will explore how today’s “contrarian humanists” are redefining the humanities and will share how these new approaches preserve the past, imagine new futures and equip the next generation of global leaders.

“I am very excited about visiting W&L for the very first time. I look forward to meeting and interacting with students and colleagues about the value of a humanities education,” said Durand. “I will specifically focus on how the skills and competences we research and teach in the humanities are the most in demand on the job market today. I will explain how to successfully articulate and promote the humanities disciplines when recruiting students, when convincing parents, administrators and politicians and when applying for jobs.”

In addition to his role as dean, Durand is a professor of French and serves as an affiliated faculty member in Africana studies, applied intercultural arts research, Latin American studies, LGBT studies and public and applied humanities.

Durand is the author and editor of six books and many chapters and articles in journals and volumes published in the U.S., France and Brazil. He serves as associate editor of the journal Contemporary French Civilization and has been a member of the Arizona Council for the Humanities board of directors, the Eller Executive Education board of directors, the American College of the Mediterranean’s board of trustees and the Modern Language Association’s executive council.

He is the recipient of numerous awards for his work, including the Palmes Académiques at the rank of officer, a national order bestowed by the French Republic to distinguished academics and teachers. The University of Arizona has also awarded him the Five Star Faculty Award, the Richard Ruiz Diversity Leadership Faculty Award and the African American Community Council’s Distinguished Faculty Award. Additionally, the French publication France-Amérique named him among its list of 50 French talents living in the United States.

Durand holds a Bachelor of Arts in business, French and Spanish from Emporia State University, Master of Arts degrees in both French literature and Latin American studies from the University of Kansas and a Ph.D. in French literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.