Join the Department of American Culture throughout 2026 as we honor the past, celebrate the present, and shape the future of American Culture at the University of Michigan! Our Celebration begins in Spring 2026, April 2nd & 3rd. This will be an opportunity to reconnect, celebrate, and envision the next chapter of our collective work.

Thursday April 2, 2026
We are launching the anniversary year on campus with our annual Betty Ch’maj Distinguished American Culture Lecture. We are thrilled to announce that Professor George J. Sánchez will deliver the Ch’maj lecture. Professor Sánchez is a leading scholar of American Studies and Ethnicity as well as History at the University of Southern California, where he serves as Vice Dean for Diversity and Strategic Initiatives in the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.

Friday April 3, 2026
Students, alumni, staff, and faculty will gather for a day of conversation and reflection on 90 years of inventive and experimental work in the study of American cultures. Graduates of our PhD program will return to campus to participate in these Friday panels alongside current graduate students and faculty. Please join us!

AC 90th Anniversary Symposium Itinerary
10-10:30 STUDENT POSTER SESSION
10:30 CHAIR’S WELCOME
10:30 - 12:00 PANEL: Thinking About the Michigan Model: American and Ethnic Studies in Practice
12:00 -1:30 LUNCH and PANEL: What has American Culture Made Possible? Impacts Across the Academy and Public Life
1:30- 3 PANEL: The Public Life of Our Scholarship
Both days will also feature poster sessions showcasing research by undergraduate and graduate students.

We will continue our celebrations at the American Studies Association’s Annual Conference in Chicago on October 22–25, 2026.