A mobile app developed and run by a Marshall University professor and his students is being touted as the gold standard for what collegiate humanities projects should be by the National Humanities Alliance.

The Clio app picks up a user's location anywhere in the United States and tells him or her about the history and culture that surrounds him or her. A growing database includes information on museums, art galleries, monuments, sculptures and historical sites. The app has been used in every state in the country, and entries are added every day.

David Trowbridge, associate professor of history and director of African and African-American studies at MU and developer of the app, said between 5,000 and 10,000 people use the app every day.

After completing a Mellon Foundation-funded project called Humanities for All to identify humanities projects that are impacting the public in meaningful ways, the National Humanities Alliance chose Clio to feature out of 1,400 projects from across the country. ...