All posts by Lydia Gilbert

News

AHA Annual Conference Grants Access to Undergraduate Researchers

The American Historical Association (AHA) now offers many opportunities for undergraduates at its annual conference.  Not only does the Association allow undergraduates to mingle with professors and historians across the discipline. It also allows them to present their work in the poster session and Undergraduate Lightning Round.  This past January, the AHA held its annual conference in Chicago with the theme “loyalties.”  Several students of Kean University presented their award-winning research projects at the conference.  Both projects were related to William Livingston, governor of New Jersey during the American Revolution and signer of the United States Constitution.  The AHA conference gave them an amazing opportunities to present at the highest level in the field.

(Left to Right) Dr. Jonathan Mercantini, Christopher Thoms-Bauer, Victor Bretones, Dr. Elizabeth Hyde , and Nicole Skalenko of Kean University.

In June 2019, Victor Bretones and Nicole Shalenko published a paper on William Livingston and eighteenth century propaganda on a Columbia University Libraries blog dedicated to the papers of John Jay.  They also received the Undergraduate Research Award at the Humanities Education and Research Association (HERA) annual conference in Philadelphia.  Later, Bretones and Shalenko, and classmate Christopher Thoms-Bauer, traveled to Chicago to present their research at the AHA annual conference.  The trio presented a poster on The American Enlightenment in William Livingston’s Library.  Using resources such as the John Jay Papers, the John Jay Homestead, and the Columbia Law Library, Skalenko gathered a comparative list of the personal libraries of William Livingston and other founding fathers   Meanwhile, Christopher Thoms-Bauer focused on the overlap of Classical authors found in the libraries of Livingston and the founding fathers.  The students’ faculty mentor was Kean University’s Dr. Elizabeth Hyde, Associate Professor in the Department of History.

(Left to Right) Dr. Jonathan Mercantini, Dr. Elizabeth Hyde, Elizabeth Thorsen, and William Corman of Kean University.

Elizabeth Thorsen and William Corman presented a poster based on the Liberty Hall 360: Revolutionary Wedding short film.  Liberty Hall 360 had won top honors at the international 2019 MarCom Awards in December 2019.  The film, written and produced by history, design, communication and theatre students at Kean University, features 360° virtual reality formats and is set during the wedding of Sarah Livingston (William Livingston’s daughter) and John Jay, a future founding father.  It is told from the perspective of Lucius, a wandering child who explores Liberty Hall and catches glimpses of the historic figures throughout the wedding.  Liberty Hall 360 can be viewed on Michael Graves College’s website.

The AHA’s 2021 conference will be held in Seattle, Washington from January 7 to 10.

Need help making a poster or an abstract?  CURAH is here to help!

New books

New Book on Undergraduate Research in Film Studies Has Wide Applications

The latest book in Routledge Undergraduate Research Series is Undergraduate Research in Film: A Guide for Students by Lucia Ricciardelli, and CUR Councilors Jenny Olin Shanahan and Gregory Young.  Like other books in this series, it focuses on students rather than on faculty mentors. Also, it deserves attention from a wider audience than the title implies. Most of its advice is applicable to any undergraduate research in the humanities.  In its target area, film studies, the book introduces the readers to many student projects and online resources, as well as a few upper-level seminar classes.

Something for everyone

While the book is geared towards film majors, almost all humanities and arts students will find it beneficial because[1]  the first half covers general topics such as literature reviews, reflective reading, and citing sources.  Chapter Two[2]  defines literature reviews as “a narrative that could stand on its own as a coherent essay, with unified paragraphs and transitions between points” (9).  Additionally, it suggests readers treat literature reviews as “joining a conversation” and argues that original ideas emerge only from “closely reading, or ‘listening’ to, the previous participants’ ideas” (10).  Furthermore, Chapter Two goes on to cover reading reflectively, with an appreciation of context and without undue deference to published material (13-14).  Then, Chapter Seven discusses MLA and APA citation guidelines, offering clear reasons why different disciplines prefer different citation styles, and gives tips for avoiding plagiarism.

Advice in Film Studies

The second half of the book points readers towards areas of film studies that are “fertile terrain for research” (157) such as film theory, the process of producing film, and cinema’s impact on society and culture.  The authors demystify film theory, calling it “the ability to speculate about the general principles and properties of film” and “a philosophical inquiry into the nature and function of film in general” (111).  The book also offers many examples of undergraduate research in film, from individual projects that demonstrate the influence of “theoretical discussion of contemporary sociopolitical issues” on popular films to upper division seminars that include a research component (119-120).   In conclusion, Undergraduate Research in Film is an exciting addition to a valuable series. It begins to shift focus from the arts toward the humanities (previous titles in the series were on music, dance, and art).

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