Call for Applications: Undergraduate Research Opportunity with Professor Smith, 2024-2025

The Humanities Division is excited to announce an experiential learning opportunity for Humanities undergraduates at UC Santa Cruz to conduct research led by Associate Professor of Literature Amanda Smith.

Undergraduate research connects Humanities majors and minors to faculty-led research projects in the Division, and it provides a valuable opportunity for students to apply their knowledge and develop skills to 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.

About The Project - Biblioteca Amazónica

You will assist with Professor Smith’s ongoing work with the Biblioteca Amazónica in Iquitos, Peru to digitize its collections. The team has just completed a two-year grant funding period from the Modern Endangered Archives Program (MEAP), and they are getting ready to start up a new funding period with the Endangered Archives Programme through the British Library. The next two-year cycle will focus on digitizing historical newspapers. The undergraduate researcher will be bilingual (Spanish/English) and will assist with many facets in collaboration with Professor Smith, the co-PI Sydney Silverstein, and a team in Peru.

This research opportunity might also include the possibility of travel to Iquitos to assist with team organization and building; and presenting research related to the project at the Latin American Studies Association Conference in San Francisco in 2025 (there is a plan to organize a panel on archival digitization in Latin America); and the potential to co-author research related to the project. You will gain many transferable skills, including cross-cultural communication, grant writing, library science skills related to digitization and cataloging, cultural heritage preservation, and research and organizational skills.

Position Description:

RESPONSIBILITIES AND EXPECTATIONS

• (45%): Help generate a social media campaign geared toward people primarily in Iquitos but also beyond to promote the digital collections and help orient people to how to use them
• (35%): Review file labeling and metadata before submitting files to granting agencies
• (10%): Assist with preparing bilingual resource guides that will be both hosted digitally and distributed in the local community
• (10%): Compile guides for best practices in archival digitization and preservation in both Spanish and English to be used by team members to train other archival personnel in the Iquitos area (part of the Prince Claus grant)

Required Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

• You are a declared major or minor in a department in the Humanities Division, and you are in good academic standing. Or, you have proposed the major or minor and can declare by the end of the academic year in June. [required]
• You are bilingual and have proficient Spanish speaking, writing, and reading skills. [required]
• An ability to work independently and divide big tasks into smaller, manageable goals. [required]
• Excellent communication skills. [required]

Preferred Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

• Experience with and/or knowledge of metadata is helpful but not required. You will receive resources and paid training for necessary skills.

What You’ll Gain

This research opportunity involves working with people from diverse backgrounds in Iquitos, Peru. It will instill foundational experiences in cultural sensitivity, including tolerance, respect, empathy, and perspective-taking. You will learn to work collegially with a team across cultural and material differences. The project will also develop your career readiness skills:

1. Career and self-development both through participation in professional meetings (conference presentations) as well as working with professionals involved in archiving, library science, and archival preservation
2. Effective communication skills, with particular emphasis on communicating across cultural differences
3. Critical thinking related to decision-making and also evaluation of one’s involvement in a project in the Global South originating in the Global North
4. Direct experience working with folks from diverse backgrounds and using the privileged position of being at a US university to bridge any gaps in knowledge and resources with our team on the ground;
5. An opportunity to take on a leadership role with the team while also being a team player and approaching the role with humility
6. Professional standards related to research, writing, and publication, as well as international professional standards related to archival work
7. Teamwork, as mentioned, is essential to the work.
8. Using technology in the face of precarious resources and learning to work with teams across technological divides.

Internship Term: Fall 2024 with a possibility to extend in Winter and Spring 2025

Hours: 10 hours/week

Compensation: $20/hour

Location: Remote? Hybrid? On site, how often?

Reports to: Associate Professor of Literature Amanda Smith

How To Apply

Apply by submitting your resume and a short cover letter (no more than one page) that emphasizes the skills you bring to this position and answering these questions: Why are you interested in this position? How does it align with future goals for you? What experience do you have working independently and how do you manage your time?

• REVIEW these resume and cover letter resources to ensure you are a strong candidate!

Once the application window closes on September 1, 2024, there will be a virtual interview process with top candidates.

APPLY NOW

Please contact Experiential Learning Coordinator Kylie Rachwalski at hum-experiential-learning@ucsc.edu with any questions.

This undergraduate internship is generously supported by The Mellon Foundation.