Call for Applications: Humanities EXPLORE Research Fellowship with Dr. Thiago Mota – 2025-2026

Islamic Material Culture in West Africa: Exhibition and Academic Engagement at UCSC (History)

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

Application Deadline: May 18, 2025

The Humanities Experiential Learning Opportunities in Research (EXPLORE) Program connects undergraduate Humanities majors and minors with faculty-led projects in the division for paid research positions. Fellows gain valuable mentorship and practical experience.

Details

Duration: Academic Year 2025–26

Hours: 10 or 15 hours/week

Pay: $20/hour

Mentorship: Regular check-ins and support from Dr. Thiago Mota (HIST)

About the project

This research project is a collaborative public humanities initiative that explores West African Islamic material culture through archival research, curatorial work, and public engagement. It aims to create an exhibition in partnership with the National Ethnographical Museum (NEM) in Guinea-Bissau and the Institute for the Arts & Sciences (IAS) at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC). The project extends Dr. Mota’s research on the history of Islam in West Africa. It includes documenting artifacts, preparing an exhibition catalog, and organizing an international conference at UCSC, leading to the Journal of West African Studies special issue.

What You’ll Do

Research and Content Development (30%)

Conduct background research on West African Islamic material culture using academic sources.
Assist in artifact documentation, including descriptions, provenance research, and significance.
Help draft catalog entries and contribute to scholarly essays for the exhibition catalog.
Support the editorial process for a special issue of the Journal of West African Studies, including literature reviews and citation formatting

Exhibition and Curatorial Support (20%)

Work with faculty and museum professionals to select and interpret artifacts for the exhibition.
Draft exhibition labels, wall texts, and multimedia content for public engagement.
Assist in the physical layout and design of the exhibition, including spatial arrangement and display techniques.

Event Planning (20%):

Support the organization of an academic event at UCSC, including scheduling, logistics, and invitations.
Assist in managing speakers and panel discussions, ensuring smooth event execution.
Coordinate community outreach efforts, such as contacting local organizations and promoting engagement with the exhibition.
Document event proceedings for inclusion in project reports and academic dissemination.

Public Engagement (15%)

Help develop educational programming (e.g., guided tours, workshops, or guest lectures).
Assist in managing social media and public communication to promote the exhibition.
Engage with visitors and answer questions about African Islamic material culture.
Work with faculty to integrate exhibition content into coursework and student learning activities.

Administrative and Logistical Support (10%)

Organize digital and physical research files related to the project.
Assist in grant reporting and documentation of project milestones.
Help with communications between project partners (UCSC, IAS, and NEM in Guinea-Bissau).
Develop and test interactive and educational components for visitors

Humanities EXPLORE Programming (5%): Attend a quarterly meeting when possible and participate in asynchronous Canvas experiential learning reflection.

Eligibility & Qualifications

This project invites motivated students interested in history, culture, and public engagement, especially those with strong research, analytical, and communication skills. Ideal candidates come from diverse backgrounds. While prior experience is beneficial, training will cover historical source analysis, artifact interpretation, label writing, public presentation, catalog entries, exhibition texts, and organizing academic panels.

You must be a declared or proposed major or minor in a Humanities Division department and have good academic standing. If proposed, declare by June.
- 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)
You can work independently and collaboratively (required)
No prior museum or archival experience is required, though students with backgrounds in history, anthropology, art history, religious studies, or public humanities may adapt more quickly.
You can analyze sources, summarize information, and write clearly for academic and public audiences.
You’re interested in African & Islamic Studies – Prior coursework or personal interest in African history, Islamic studies, museum studies, or anthropology is helpful but not required.
You pay careful attention to detail – this is needed for cataloging artifacts, fact-checking, and editing exhibition texts.
You have strong organizational skills, like managing research materials, coordinating events, and tracking deadlines.
You are comfortable with collaborative work, cross-cultural engagement, and liaising with different institutions.
Language Skills (Optional but beneficial) – Knowledge of Portuguese or Arabic can help with archival research and artifact documentation. The collection we will work with holds several Arabic manuscripts, and the documents from NEM are written in Portuguese, since Guinea-Bissau is officially a Portuguese-speaking country. Willingness to learn these languages is also positively considered.

What You’ll Learn

This project encompasses a range of academic, curatorial, and organizational tasks, resulting in valuable transferable skills:

Research and Analytical Skills: Analyzing archival and field research on African Islamic material culture, synthesizing historical data, and contributing to scholarly publications.
Project Management and Coordination: Planning international collaborations, managing logistics for exhibitions and events, and overseeing budgeting and resource allocation.
Teaching and Public Engagement: Making academic research accessible, engaging audiences through exhibitions, and developing interdisciplinary educational materials.
Communication and Writing: Producing academic and non-academic content, public speaking, and facilitating cross-cultural communication.
Networking and Relationship Building: Establishing partnerships, collaborating with scholars and policymakers, and fostering dialogue between academic and non-academic communities.

How To Apply

Updated resume
1-page cover letter addressing:
- Why you’re interested in this role
- How your background and skills apply
- What you hope to gain from the experience
Address your letter to Dr. Thiago Mota

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

APPLY NOW

Questions? Email Kylie Rachwalski at hum-experiential-learning@ucsc.edu

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

Misconduct Disclosure Requirement:

As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.

“Misconduct” means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant’s previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC’s policies addressing some forms of misconduct: