People
Paul Quigley, Associate Professor
Paul Quigley is the James I. Robertson, Jr. Associate Professor of Civil War Studies, director of the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies, and director of Virginia Tech’s Center for Humanities.
During his time at Virginia Tech, Quigley has implemented augmented reality to teach the history of slavery during the Civil War era. Other principal areas of his research include nationalism, political violence, and the U.S. South.
Quigley said he is excited to broaden his horizons and grow the center into an organization that “reflects the ethos” of Virginia Tech. One of his main goals is to provide new opportunities for humanities faculty. He said that could include new opportunities for collaboration, visibility, and public engagement.
While he sees opportunities to promote history-related projects through the center, he said he is excited to work with other disciplines and seek answers to questions such as “what makes human beings human?”
Rishi Jaitly, Distinguished Fellow and Professor of Practice
Professor Rishi Jaitly is a Distinguished Humanities Fellow in the Center for Humanities and leader of the "Digital Transformations and Scientific Collaboration" area in the Academy of Transdisciplinary Studies (ATS), which is housed in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. Building on his specialization in History and American Studies at Princeton University, Jaitly has championed humanities as an area of growth and transformation. He is a leader of human-centered change and technology whose commitment to public service has led him to embrace multiple roles in society to advance public interest.
Jaitly has led teams at Google and Twitter, and he has co-founded non-profit organizations such as Michigan Corps, an online service platform for Michiganders to give back to their home state no matter where they live.
Jaitly’s other civic entrepreneurial and executive experiences have spanned a range of sectors. He has served as commissioner of higher education in New Jersey, a director of the Knight Foundation, and director of strategy for the nonprofit College Summit (now Peer Forward) that partners with low-income high-schools and their students to boost college enrollment rates.
Upon leaving Twitter in 2016, Jaitly co-founded and served as CEO of Times Bridge, an investments and partnerships firm with a mission to help the world’s best ideas expand internationally and in India in particular. In 2022, he was recognized by Rest of World as a top 100 Global Tech’s Changemaker.
Professor Jaitly’s humanities advocacy has led him to seats on the boards of the National Humanities Center; PRX, a public media company specializing in audio journalism and storytelling; and Virginia Humanities, the commonwealth’s humanities council. He is also a former Trustee of Princeton University.
Hunter Q. Gresham, Associate Director
Hailing from rural southwest Virginia, Hunter Gresham is a proud Appalachian with strong family ties to Virginia Tech. She earned a bachelor’s degree in public relations from the University of Tennessee in 1998 before traveling for a year as an international student ambassador with Up with People, where her love for performing arts was matched with cultural exploration. Hunter moved to Blacksburg in 2001 and, since that time, has served Virginia Tech in a variety of roles including Event Planning Manager, Special Events Director, Chief of Staff to the Vice President in the Division of Student Affairs, and Executive Director for Communications and IT in Student Affairs. In addition, she is a freelance photographer, communications and event consultant, and aspiring writer. Hunter’s current role as Associate Director is focused on the strategic and administrative success of the Institute for Leadership in Technology (LIT) and day-to-day oversight of the Center for Humanities.
Hunter Q. Gresham, Associate Director
