Call for Applications: Humanities EXPLORE Undergraduate Research Fellowship with Professor Jasmine Alinder, 2024-2025

Research Assistant: Digital History Project on the Japanese American Redress Movement (History)

We encourage work-study and non-work-study students to apply. This role is only open to undergraduate students with a declared or proposed Humanities major or minor and requires work authorization.

Application Deadline: Thursday, November 21, 2024

The Humanities Division and The Humanities Institute are excited to announce an experiential learning opportunity for undergraduates at UC Santa Cruz to work with History Professor Jasmine Alinder.

The Humanities Experiential Learning Opportunities in Research (EXPLORE) Program connects Humanities majors and minors to faculty-led research projects in the division. EXPLORE Fellows are mentored by faculty members to develop skills and knowledge to help them make an impactful intellectual or creative contribution to their field. Students gain practical experience and professional training that builds on their studies in the Humanities. At the same time, faculty benefit from students’ assistance and academic expertise.

Applicants must have a declared or proposed major or minor in the Humanities Division at the time of their application to be eligible. Please see the Humanities Division majors and minors list to check your eligibility before applying.

About The Project

The Undergraduate Researcher will collaborate with Professor Alinder, Graduate Student Researcher Clara Bergamini, and members of the Full Spectrum Features team to research and curate a set of primary and secondary documents that will be used in an interactive digital history website that brings together fictional film, video game features, and archival sources in a website designed to teach students in K-12 and college about the history of the Japanese-American Redress movement from the 1960s to the 1980s. Utilizing the power of cinematic storytelling and interactive gaming, the educational website builds upon both the characters and historical themes of incarceration, resettlement and redress that are introduced in a series of films. The films function to create emotional investment in the characters and the time period and build the world for the website, which provides the context of the historical period through primary and secondary sources. The project involves multiple teams that each work on a different piece of the project and the undergraduate researcher will be working within the historian-led research team, which is responsible for the curation of primary and secondary sources on the website. The fellowship will involve researching and selecting curated materials to aid the research, education, and website production teams in developing an effective website that will help educators and students gain the necessary knowledge and tools to understand the socio-political implications of Japanese-American incarceration, resettlement, and redress history. The undergraduate researcher may also be asked to pursue various lines of inquiry regarding research topics for projects and programs that preceded the current web project.

Position Description:

RESPONSIBILITIES AND EXPECTATIONS

(70%) Collaborate with Professor Alinder and Clara Bergamini to research and identify relevant primary and secondary resources pertaining to the Japanese-American Redress movement.
(10%) Assist in curating a selection of primary and secondary resources for the website that help to provide a nuanced and holistic view of Japanese-American redress history.
(10%) Analyze and assess the suitability and applicability of identified resources for K-12 education, considering the diverse needs of educators and students.
(5%) Assist in the development of comprehensive and engaging content for the web project.
(5%) Contribute to the evaluation and feedback process to improve the quality and impact of the collected resources as well as the various tools used in the website.

Developing Transferrable Skills

This position is designed to help improve a fellow’s career readiness competencies. Successful candidates will show a desire to build up their critical thinking and decision-making skills through qualitative research that will require analytical reasoning and an aptitude to evaluate material decisively. This research will also require fellows to improve their organizational skills by learning about the basics of project management as they organize their research material. Once this material has been collected and organized, fellows will also be expected to deliver their curated research materials to K-12 teachers through written, verbal, and visual forms of communication. Accepted fellows will be committed to learning how to produce work that adheres to accessibility standards and illustrates a dedication to cultural sensitivity and emotionally intelligent research practices.

Qualifications for success

You are a declared or proposed major or minor in a department in the Humanities Division and are in good academic standing. If your major or minor is proposed, you can declare by the end of the academic year in June. [strict eligibility requirement]
- Eligible majors: Applied Linguistics and Multilingualism, Classical Studies, Critical Race and Ethnic Studies, Feminist Studies, History, Jewish Studies, Language Studies, Linguistics, Literature, Philosophy, Spanish Studies
- Eligible minors: Black Studies, Classical Studies, East Asian Studies, History of Consciousness, History, Italian Studies, Jewish Studies, Language Studies, Linguistics, Literature, Middle Eastern and North African Studies, Philosophy, Spanish Studies
You have work authorization. [required]
Strong interest in history, education, social justice, or related fields.
Demonstrated research skills and ability to critically analyze primary sources.
Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
Sensitivity to cultural diversity and a commitment to promoting inclusive education.
Ability to work remotely.
Some familiarity with Google Docs and Google Sheets.

Position Term: Winter 2025 - Summer 2025

Hours: 10-20

Compensation: $20/hour, depending on experience

# Positions Available: 3

Mentorship: You will work closely with and report to History Professor Jasmine Alinder. They will delegate tasks and review your work, provide coaching, and help you understand what professional research is like. You will meet to check in at least once per week.

Apply By Submitting

Your updated resume
A short cover letter (no more than one page) answering these questions: Why are you interested in this position? How does your academic expertise and skillset prepare you for this role? What are you hoping to gain from this opportunity?

REVIEW these resume and cover letter resources to ensure you are a strong candidate! For application help, see Humanities Career Engagement.

Address your cover letter to Jasmine Alinder

Once the application window closes, there will be an interview process with top candidates. This job is expected to start in January 2025.

APPLY NOW

Please contact the EXPLORE Program coordinator, Kylie Rachwalski, at hum-experiential-learning@ucsc.edu with any questions.

The Mellon Foundation, The Helen and Will Webster Foundation, The Humanities Institute, and the UCSC Humanities Division generously support the Humanities EXPLORE Program.