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Digital Humanities Initiative (2010–2013)
Overview
Between 2010 and 2013, Hamilton College’s Digital Humanities Initiative (DHi) received two Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grants totaling $1.6 million, positioning the college as a national model for digital humanities programming at small liberal arts institutions. Under co-directors Angel Nieves and Janet Simons, the initiative funded projects including a historical GIS project in South Africa, a documentary film on Mohawk Valley refugees, and a comparative film archive — representing the most significant sustained external grant relationship in Hamilton’s humanities during the decade.
Key Points
- Co-directors: Angel Nieves and Janet Simons led the Digital Humanities Initiative
- Mellon Foundation funding: Two Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grants totaling $1.6 million by fall 2013 — the most significant sustained external grant relationship in Hamilton’s humanities during the 2004–2013 decade
- Funded projects included:
- The Soweto Historical GIS Project — a geospatial information systems project focused on South African history
- A documentary film on Mohawk Valley refugees
- The Comparative Japanese Film Archive
- National positioning: The DHi positioned Hamilton as a national model for digital humanities programming at small liberal arts colleges
- Concurrent infrastructure investments: The DHi’s growth coincided with the Burke Library renovation and the naming of the Fillius Jazz Archive, collectively consolidating Hamilton’s humanities infrastructure during this period
- Institutional significance: The two Mellon grants represented a scale of external humanities funding that was unusual for a small liberal arts college and demonstrated Hamilton’s capacity to attract major foundation support for interdisciplinary digital scholarship
- Context: The initiative developed during the Joan Hinde Stewart presidency, in a decade that also saw Hamilton adopt need-blind admissions (2010), issue $103 million in century bonds (2013), and engage with the fossil fuel divestment campaign
Open Questions
- Who were the specific faculty and students involved in the Soweto Historical GIS Project and other funded projects?
- What outputs (publications, datasets, films) resulted from the Mellon-funded work?
- How did the DHi relate to existing academic departments at Hamilton?
- What happened to the initiative after 2013 — did it sustain, expand, or conclude?
- What specifically did the Burke Library renovation entail, and how did it support digital humanities work?
Sources
| Source | Date Ingested | Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| (specific issue TBD from 2010-2013 synthesis) | Digital Humanities Initiative; Nieves and Simons co-directors; Mellon grants totaling $1.6M; Soweto GIS Project; Mohawk Valley documentary; Comparative Japanese Film Archive |
Related Topics
- Faculty Governance and Academic Affairs
- Campus Buildings and Physical Plant
- College Administration and Presidential Leadership