Students Complete Mississippi Digital Humanities Hub Summer Residency at Southern Miss
Mon, 07/27/2026 - 11:33am | By: Morgan Smith
Ten undergraduate students from colleges and universities across the state recently completed the Mississippi Digital Humanities Hub's highly competitive six-week Summer Residency at The University of Southern Mississippi.
Held June 15-July 24, the residency brought students together to explore digital humanities through collaborative research and project development.
Digital humanities is an interdisciplinary field that combines technology with traditional humanities disciplines such as history, literature and philosophy. Throughout the residency, students learned to use tools such as digital mapping, text analysis, digital exhibits, data visualization and digital storytelling to explore scholarly questions and make cultural materials more accessible to the public.
Participants created public-facing digital projects while developing technical, research and communication skills applicable to graduate study and careers in education, museums, libraries, archives, nonprofit organizations and other fields. Selected students received housing, meals, travel reimbursement and a stipend.
"Bringing together students from across Mississippi is at the heart of what we're trying to do," said Dr. Andrew McSorley, postdoctoral scholar for the Digital Humanities Hub. "Our students came from different colleges, regions and academic backgrounds, but they all shared a curiosity about how digital tools can help us tell Mississippi's history in new ways."
The Mississippi Digital Humanities Hub, based in the School of Humanities at Southern Miss, is a three-year, grant-funded initiative through the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), part of the National Archives and Records Administration, that equips scholars, archivists and researchers across Mississippi with the resources and digital humanities skills needed to preserve the state's cultural and historical resources.
"It has been thrilling to watch these students grow in both skill and confidence," said Jamie O'Quinn, public programs and outreach liaison for the Digital Humanities Hub. "Seeing them fully immersed in the experience has been incredible as they engaged with us, expert presenters from diverse fields and with one another."
The Summer Residency helped build a network of emerging scholars equipped to preserve, interpret and share Mississippi's history using digital tools and techniques.
"It is especially rewarding to hear them discuss how they will apply these insights to their collegiate futures and continue building a valuable professional community for their prospective careers," O'Quinn added.
Learn more about the Mississippi Digital Humanities Hub and its impact at Southern Miss and across Mississippi.
About the College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts and Sciences at The University of Southern Mississippi is home to 13 schools, two ROTC units,
and more than 100 academic programs. Guided by the University’s mission, we educate
students, lead the state and nation in research and the creative arts, and advance
knowledge across the humanities, social sciences, and STEM. Through innovative research
and nationally recognized student success, we provide pathways to understanding the
past, solving today's challenges, and imagining the possibilities of tomorrow.