Digital Humanities Series Opens with Discussion on Analyzing Authors and Texts

The McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts, in conjunction with the English department and the Center for Womens’ and Gender Studies, is launching a new series that will explore how digital technologies are influencing scholarship around the humanities.

Dr. Matthew J. Lavin

Faculty, students and staff are invited to attend the series Digital Humanities in the 21st Century, which is supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities grant.

The series kicks off with a two-part event on Wednesday, Feb. 22, that examines digital humanities scholarship and methods. Dr. Matthew J. Lavin, clinical assistant professor of English and director of the Digital Media Lab at University of Pittsburgh, will present Computational Methods in Authorship Studies: Willa Cather as a Case Study from 3 to 4:15 p.m. in Room 554 of Fisher Hall.

During the second part of the event, Lavin will lead an interactive workshop, Digital Humanities Approaches to Text Analysis, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in the same room. Lavin will focus on established methods and new approaches to text analysis, as well as common pathways for skills acquisition and project development.

Workshop participants do not need to have prior experience with computer programming or code, as this workshop will focus on surveying approaches and establishing common strategies. Participants are encouraged to come with a brief description of a project or research question that might benefit from computational text analysis.

Participants may attend one or both of Lavin’s sessions. A laptop is required for the workshop.

Additional events for Digital Humanities in the 21st Century will be held in March and April. For more information, contact Dr. Linda A. Kinnahan, professor and Hillman Endowed Chair in the McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts, at kinnahan@duq.edu.