The Reactor Room: An Immersive Chornobyl Exhibition
Faculty advisor & project director: Professor José Vergara (Russian)
Program staff: Alice McGrath (Senior Digital Scholarship Specialist), Bronwen Densmore (Makerspace Coordinator)
May 30-August 4
The Digital Scholarship Summer Fellows program is a paid, full-time summer internship opportunity for Bryn Mawr students to learn digital research and publication methods and gain professional experience by collaborating on public-facing digital scholarship projects. Over the course of ten weeks, fellows explore key issues and methods in digital scholarship, critical making, and multi-modal research through a combination of hands-on work, instruction, and discussion. Fellows will also have opportunities to attend and present at conferences, create a personal website, and learn about careers in libraries, archives, and digital technology.
The 2023 cohort will collaborate on designing and building a multi-modal exhibition focused on the 1986 Chornobyl nuclear disaster and its legacies, including the current moment of threat caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Fellows will learn the basics of exhibition design, digital publishing, CAD, critical making, fabrication, and woodworking tools. Guided by faculty and staff mentors, they will explore the cultural and ecological history of Chornobyl and create interactive experiences, including a physical model of reactor room #4 and digital content that may include data visualizations, maps, interactive timelines, or other multimedia narrative elements. Their work will culminate in a Winter 2023 installation that will also feature scholarship by students in Professor Vergara’s fall course.
Through project work, students will build skill in:
- Research in visual culture and environmental history
- Digital scholarship publishing platforms and tools for digital exhibits, mapped narratives, data visualizations
- Best practices for project management and collaborative research
- Graphic design, CAD, and 3D modeling
- Web design and development
- Data management & visualization
- Critical making and fabrication
- Woodworking and exhibit furniture construction
All continuing Bryn Mawr students are welcome to apply, regardless of major or experience with digital scholarship, web publishing, or languages other than English. We particularly encourage applications from students who are Black, Indigenous, people of color, or from other underrepresented groups. Review of applications will begin Monday, March 13, and continue until all positions are filled.
Job requirements
Work for this position will be conducted on campus, primarily in Carpenter Library and the Makerspace in Park.
Students will be expected to:
- Work on a 9-5 schedule Monday through Friday
- Learn and troubleshoot new technologies, including digital platforms and makerspace equipment
- Collaborate actively with a team and pursue work independently as needed
- Follow campus community guidelines and public health guidelines
- Perform some physical work in the makerspace
Successful applicants will possess:
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- Excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills
- Willingness to learn and experiment with digital tools and methods
- Willingness to learn & build skill in makerspace/critical making technologies
- Interest in any of the following: digital scholarship, critical making, environmental studies, Slavic/Eastern European history and culture, web publishing, dramaturgy, graphic design/web design, museum studies, woodworking & fabrication, theater technology, or other areas relevant to the project.
Application instructions
To apply, fill out this application form and submit your resume. The application consists of several short questions as well as two longer answer questions, which are as follows:
- What interests you about this position? How does it fit in with your goals?
- What would you bring to this position? Please describe any relevant skills, interests, areas of knowledge, or other information about why your background makes you a good fit with the program.
Review of applications will begin March 13, and continue until all positions are filled.
Learn more about past cohorts and projects on the DSSF program page. Please contact Alice McGrath with any questions.