The Center for Digital Research in the Humanities is excited to welcome its fifth group of digital humanities fellows this summer. These graduate students will dive deep into their research and skills development in a collaborative environment.
This year’s cohort was chosen through a competitive process. The fellows will receive stipends and spend their first weeks working in a shared space at the Dinsdale Family Learning Commons, guided by Carrie Heitman, who leads the Digital Humanities Summer Fellowship.
“Our goal is to support student projects and encourage collaboration across different fields,” Heitman explains. “With lower technical barriers and tools like AI coding assistants, students can boost their project development significantly. I’m eager to work with this talented group.”
In the middle of summer, students will showcase their projects at Dinsdale, getting feedback from faculty and staff. They’ll continue to collaborate in weekly Zoom meetings and will present their final works at a public event in September.
This year’s cohort includes four remarkable scholars:
Brianna Rose DeValk, a doctoral student in history, is working on a project titled “Citizenship Taken.” This research aims to recover the stories of American-born women who lost citizenship upon marrying non-naturalized immigrants between 1907 and 1967.
Dana Hanley, a master’s student in modern languages, is focused on creating a digital history platform called “‘Forever Undivided.” Her project explores migrations from Schleswig-Holstein after the 1848 Revolution and the growth of German-American civic institutions in Nebraska.
Henrique Cassol Leal, a philosophy doctoral candidate, aims to build the “AI Moral Status Atlas.” This project will map out key discussions around the moral status of AI systems, presenting various concepts and debates.
Lexus Root, a second-year doctoral student in English, is developing a measure for analyzing sexual explicitness in mid-20th century gay pulp fiction, focusing on thousands of novels from that era.
Throughout their time together, the fellows can share ideas, seek advice, meet with experts, and learn about resources available at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. This collaborative spirit is vital, especially in today’s academic landscape where interdisciplinary approaches often lead to the most impactful innovations.
As technology evolves, access to tools like AI enhances research possibilities. A report from the Pew Research Center highlights that 60% of educators believe that AI will fundamentally change how students conduct research. This trend mirrors the experiences of the current cohort, who are capitalizing on these advancements in their projects.
This fellowship is not just an opportunity for individual growth; it cultivates a vibrant community of scholars who inspire each other. By sharing their diverse perspectives, these fellows are well on their way to making valuable contributions to the field of digital humanities.
