Category Archives: Jobs

Postdoctoral Fellowship in Digital Cultural Heritage and the Text Encoding Initiative

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Vanderbilt University invites applications for a postdoctoral fellowship in TEI/MEI as part of the Digital Cultural Heritage Research Cluster situated within the Vanderbilt University Center for Digital Humanities.

Applicants are invited from any relevant discipline including the humanities, library science, museum studies, or data science. We are looking for a talented scholar who will train and foster the growing community of students and faculty at Vanderbilt interested in the application of XML encoding to cultural heritage preservation and research. The successful applicant will be an effective teacher experienced in introducing beginners to the guidelines of the Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) and also able to collaborate with scholars in the advanced application of the TEI in research. The ideal applicant will also be familiar with the Music Encoding Initiative (MEI) or willing to learn and teach its guidelines as part of the fellowship.

This fellow will join a new research cluster in Digital Cultural Heritage at Vanderbilt. Inspired by UNESCO’s mission to protect cultural heritage in danger of destruction, this cluster unites expertise across multiple disciplines (French, History, Computer Science, Religious Studies, Classics, Musicology, History of Art, Anthropology) and maintains interests in a variety of cultural expressions (archeological sites, artifacts and monuments, texts, music). Within and beyond the cluster, Vanderbilt is home to a number of active projects employing TEI XML. Several projects use a jointly developed TEI customization for historical geography and architecture including Syriaca.org, Architectura Sinica, and LOGAR: Linked Open Gazetteer of the Andean Region. Other projects include a focus on text corpora such as The Digital Syriac Corpus, Digital Corpus Baudelaire, and Hannah Arendt: Complete Works. In 2014, Vanderbilt hosted the NEH funded XQuery Summer Institute which focused on the use of the TEI extensively.

The term of appointment is one year, beginning in August 2018, with the possibility of renewal for a second year, pending approval of funding and satisfactory performance. The salary is $50,000 a year, plus benefits and the possibility of funding for conference-related travel and expenses. The fellow will join a cohort of other postdoctoral fellows hosted at the Vanderbilt University Center for Digital Humanities and have access to the professional development support of the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs. We offer regular training in XQuery.

During the period of the fellowship, the fellow is expected to be in residence. The fellow’s responsibilities include collaborating with faculty on research projects with opportunities for joint publications. The fellow will work with the director of the research cluster to define both formal and informal teaching duties to train undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty in the use of TEI and MEI XML. The fellow will also have the opportunity to conduct their own research and will be expected to participate in the seminars and academic community of the research cluster and the Center for Digital Humanities.

Qualifications
Required:
1. A PhD in a field relevant to the broad aims of the research cluster.
2. Experience with the guidelines of the Text Encoding Initiative.

Desired:
1. Familiarity with or willingness to learn the guidelines of the Music Encoding Initiative
2. Familiarity with XSLT, XQuery, TEI schemas, TEI tools such as Roma and OxGarage, or other skill sets related to working with data in XML.
3. Broad experience in the digital humanities.

How to Apply
A complete application will include the following materials in digital format:
1. A cover letter indicating applicant’s qualifications;
2. A current curriculum vitae;
3. A scholarly publication, dissertation chapter, or digital project representing the applicant’s scholarly work related to XML encoding;
4. Letters of recommendation sent directly by two references who can speak to the themes of the postdoctoral fellowship.

Review of applications will begin immediately. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Priority consideration will be given to applications received by June 31, 2018.

Applications, letters, and inquiries should be sent to Lynn Ramey, Professor of French, Vanderbilt University.

Vanderbilt University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. Women, minorities, people with disabilities and protected veterans are encouraged to apply.

Job Opening: Visiting Research Assistant Professor in Syriac Studies and Digital Humanities (Vanderbilt)

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Vanderbilt University and Syriaca.org invite applications for the open position of Visiting Research Assistant Professor in Syriac Studies and Digital Humanities. The term of appointment is one full year, beginning in fall 2015, with the possibility of renewal for one further year.

The Visiting Research Assistant Professor will work full time under the direction of Prof. David Michelson on the publications of Syriaca.org: The Syriac Reference Portal (http://syriaca.org/), a digital reference project sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The researcher will be affiliated with an academic unit at Vanderbilt University depending on expertise (Classics,Divinity, History, Islamic Studies, Jewish Studies, Religion, etc.). The scholar will also be invited to take an active role in the life of Vanderbilt’s Robert Penn Warren Center for the Humanities, including its Digital Humanities seminar.

The person hired for this position will be a specialist in Syriac studies with strong linguistic skills (ancient and modern) and considerable experience working with Syriac texts, both editions and manuscripts. There will be a strong preference for a candidate who has experience with digital humanities, especially TEI XML, but additional training in digital technology specific to the project will be provided as needed.

The researcher will be a contributing author to SPEAR (Syriac Persons, Events, and Relations), the New Handbook of Syriac Literature, Gateway to the Syriac Saints, and other Syriaca.org publications as needed. The researcher will collect and interpret data in Syriac and other languages, contribute to evolving data models, test user interfaces and XForms, collaborate with other project researchers, and perform additional project duties as needed.

Term of Appointment
The term of appointment is one full year, beginning in fall 2015, with the possibility of renewal for one further year. Applicants are expected to be in residence for the duration of the appointment.

How to Apply
Applications should be submitted online at: https://vanderbilt.taleo.net/careersection/jobdetail.ftl?job=1504387&lang=en

Please contact Prof. David A. Michelson (david.a.michelson@vanderbilt.edu) with any questions about the position or about the online application system.

A complete application will include the following materials:
1. A cover letter indicating applicant’s qualifications in Syriac studies and, if applicable, digital humanities;
2. A current curriculum vitae;
3. A scholarly publication, dissertation chapter, or digital project representing the applicant’s scholarly achievement or potential (these should be uploaded as attachments in the section marked “Resume and Cover Letter”);
4. Contact information for three referees.

The committee will begin review of applications immediately, with priority given to those applications received by May 22. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Required Qualifications:  
The Candidate must have previous research experience in Syriac studies, particularly Syriac literature. Reading ability in classical Syriac and at least one other ancient or medieval language as well as relevant modern languages is required. Candidate must hold a Ph.D. or equivalent by January 1, 2016.

Preferred Qualifications:  
We welcome candidates with an interest in digital research methods, such as the use of TEI XML. Ideal candidates should have additional expertise in one or more fields contiguous to Syriac studies, such as Jewish studies, Islamic studies, Middle Eastern or Mediterranean history, Byzantine studies, history of Christianity, Classics, or medieval history.

Vanderbilt University is committed to principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action.

Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Digital Humanities at Boston College

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The Institute for the Liberal Arts at Boston College invites applications for a one-year post-doctoral fellowship in Digital Humanities. We welcome applications from recent PhDs in any humanities fields who have expertise in digital approaches to scholarship, especially data mining, mapping and GIS, and/or visualization.   The DH Fellow will teach one class per semester, will be available to consult with faculty on the use of digital technologies in their research projects, and will organize workshops for faculty and graduate students on DH topics.

Candidates should have received a Ph. D. in an arts or humanities discipline by August, 2015.  They will be affiliated with the appropriate department at Boston College.  Salary is $65,000 with a $5,000 research budget.  Please submit a letter of application, CV, article-length writing sample, statement describing experience with digital technology, syllabus for a digital humanities course at either the undergraduate or graduate level, and three letters of recommendation by March 30, 2015.  Applications should be submitted online at apply.interfolio.com/28956

The search committee is being chaired by Professor Mary Crane.

Boston College is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or other legally protected status. To learn more about how BC supports diversity and inclusion throughout the university please visit the Office for Institutional Diversity at http://www.bc.edu/offices/diversity.