Campus internEXP - Digital Humanities Documentary Intern

 **If you are interested in applying for this position, you will need to view the information session for the Campus internEXP program to qualify. Please register for that information session here. Once you have viewed the session and responded to the survey, you will gain access to apply within 2 business days.**

Virginia Tech Publishing, in collaboration with the Center for Oral History and Department of History, seeks to hire two highly motivated undergraduate students for its inaugural internship program. The Digital Humanities Interns would work collaboratively to create digital media content and online exhibits based on oral history projects related to social justice, regional history, climate change, and racial inequality. The interns will support university initiatives that engage in community-based, experiential learning, and public service projects. This is a 9-month position for the Fall and Spring semesters 2023-24.

Virginia Tech Publishing is dedicated to making scholarly research open-access and affordable. We publish a variety of projects, including books, open-access scholarly journals, and Open Educational Resources. We specialize in publishing digital projects, including podcasts and live-stream production. Learn more at our website: https://publishing.vt.edu/

Digital Humanities Interns would work with a small team of publishing specialists and digital humanities experts in the publishing suite, located on the fourth floor of the Newman Library. Interns would report directly to Dr. Jason Higgins, the Digital Scholarship Coordinator at Virginia Tech Publishing. Dr. Higgins earned a Ph.D. in History and specializes in oral history. He teaches classes on the Vietnam War and African American History. He’s the author of Prisoners after War: Veterans in the Age of Mass Incarceration (UMass Press, 2023); and he’s currently directing a project entitled, “the Descendant Communities Reconciliation Project,” an oral history project that records the memories, experiences, and family histories of descendants of formerly enslaved people with ties to Blacksburg. He’s a first-generation college graduate and understands the value of gaining professional experiences beyond the classroom. 

The interns may work ten hours per week depending on their availability and will earn an hourly wage at $15 per hour. Interns will be expected to meet weekly with the Digital Scholarship Coordinator and work in team settings. Business hours are typically 9:00-5:00 p.m., but interns may work during hours most convenient to their schedules. Some work may be completed remotely, but interns will sometimes need to access to technology, software, and equipment available in the publishing suite. The working environment is casual but professional. Business casual dress would be most appropriate. During departmental meetings, we often consume a lot of coffee and/or pastries. 

The research assistants will perform important tasks necessary in oral history, including research, interviewing, transcribing, indexing, editing, and designing a digital history project based on the oral histories. All students will gain training in oral history, including project planning, interviewing, processing, and dissemination using digital publishing tools such as Scalar and Pressbooks. Interns should be genuinely curious about the stories of people. (Bonus points will be provided to interns with a sense of humor and/or good taste in music!)

The interns will gain: 

·      Training in Oral History methods, Public History, and Digital Humanities;

·      Experience with digital recording equipment and video/audio editing software such as Adobe Audition and Premier;

·      Experience processing, transcribing, and publishing audio and video content;

·      Basic knowledge of web development tools such as WordPress, Omeka, and Scalar;

·      Strong communication, digital literacy, and organization skills;

·      Strong work ethic and desire to learn;

·      Experience working on community-engaged projects, involving social justice, African American history, climate change, and more.