Founded in 1987, the Humanities Institute at Stony Brook (HISB) has three main missions: to stimulate new modes of interdisciplinary research within the humanities and social sciences; to build bridges between the human sciences and the medical, technical, and natural sciences; and to reach out to the local community through public lectures and film series. To achieve these ends, HISB sponsors Visiting Resident Fellows and Two-day Distinguished Visiting

Fellows to present their new research and interact with Stony Brook and other local faculty and students, organizes symposia and conferences, and works with community groups on programs of broader interest. The Institute also designs interdisciplinary graduate and faculty courses on unique themes linked to HISB programming in any one year. As a catalyst for other entities on campus, HISB policy has always been to work closely with other units, such as Women's Studies, Africana Studies, and most recently, the Latin American and Caribbean Center and the Center for Science Studies. We also regularly collaborate with the Stony Brook University Medical School and with individual departments on campus.