CFP: Mellon DH Undergraduate Fellowship

DH @ WLU seeks applications for Mellon Digital Humanities Undergraduate Fellows for the 2017-2018 academic year. Applications are due May 31, 2017.

Description

We’re looking for students who are curious about the ways that technology affects the world around them. You don’t have to be a software engineer to build a website or visualize data, but comfort around technology can set you apart in the job market or graduate school. The goal of this fellowship program is to give students the opportunity to develop technology skills and share what they’ve learned with others. This fellowship is broadly-defined and flexible to meet student skills and interests. Applicants without prior DH coursework are welcome to apply, but they will be encouraged to undertake a practicum project during the first semester of the fellowship to develop their technical skills in consultation with the digital humanities faculty.

Fellows will receive $10/hr and are expected to work 4-8 hours per week. Fellowships last one academic year but may be renewed. Fellows will report to Mackenzie Brooks, Assistant Professor and Digital Humanities Librarian.

Responsibilities:

Depending on their skills and interests, students will be expected to perform some the following:

  • Serve as lab assistants in DH courses with lab components or DH studio courses.
  • Staff the future DH Space (potentially after working hours) and serve as tutor/mentor for students seeking assistant on DH assignments.
  • Participate in outreach activities with and without DHAT/DHWG members (ex: visiting classes, connecting with student groups, presenting at conferences).
  • Contribute to the DH @ WLU blog on a regular basis.
  • Develop personal DH research projects or contribute to library DH projects (see descriptions below).
  • Collaborate/mentor with other fellows or student groups on specific projects.
  • Sign up for the DH Slack team

Qualifications:

  • Willingness to engage with technology (prior experience not required).
  • Interest in humanities and social science-based research questions.
  • Comfort with independent research and skill development.

Statement of Interest:

Your statement of interest should include the following in one page or less:

  • Your (prospective) major(s).
  • Your fall term schedule and availability.
  • What you hope to gain from this fellowship experience.
  • Your interest in digital humanities methodology, as it relates to your scholarship and your own skills/experience.

Applicants should submit a statement of interest by May 31, 2017 to Mackenzie Brooks at brooksm@wlu.edu.

Specific Opportunities:

  • The literary networks of Ezra Pound and Thomas H. Carter ’54. Numerous project opportunities lie within this collection of correspondence between this modernist figure and a W&L student. Explore the beginnings of Shenandoah, translate Pound’s puzzling writing, or catalog Carter’s library.
  • The Stonewall Jackson Cemetery database needs updating! Redesign the database interface and mapping features.
  • The Ring-tum Phi is a rich archive of 100+ years of student life at W&L. What can you learn about the college experience from text analysis of the newspaper?
  • Lexington local history. Ever wondered about a historic building or street in Lexington? Add it to the Lexington Walking Tour app.

Undergraduate Fellows on Faculty Research Projects

The fellowship program will also support students serving as research assistants on faculty research projects. Students are selected and supervised by faculty, but will be required to participate in the following:

  • Initial meeting with Fellowship coordinators and relevant DHAT members.
  • Series of initial training meetings on DH best practices (3-4 meetings) on topics like command line, HTML/CSS, Git and GitHub, and Markdown, etc.
  • Attend monthly progress meetings with Fellowship coordinators.
  • Contribute to the DH @ WLU blog on a regular basis.
  • Participate in outreach activities (ex: visiting classes, connecting with student groups, presenting at conferences).
  • Participate in end-of-year symposium for DH Fellows.
  • Sign up for the DH Slack team.

Strategic Communication Fellowship

Are you a strategic communications major (or potential major) with an interest in the humanities? Are you interested in gaining experience in writing and editing? Are you excited about digital media? Are you interested in working on a team committed to advancing W&L’s educational and research efforts?

An opportunity as a Mellon Digital Humanities Undergraduate Fellow is open for a current or potential Strategic Communication major. The student holding this position will serve in an editorial and public relations role for W&L’s Digital Humanities initiatives.

  • Provide editorial input for the W&L DH website (http://dhat.wludci.info/) and Twitter (@wludh).
  • Write compelling blog posts on W&L DH activities through interviewing students and faculty working on DH projects.
  • Create and circulate promotional material for DH events.
  • Copyedit and proof drafts of articles, conference proposals, and related materials developed by DH participants.
  • Contribute to the development of multimedia digital stories that convey the University Library’s strategic directions.
  • Participate in regular meetings with other Mellon Digital Humanities Undergraduate Fellows.

This fellowship program is made possible by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.