Center for Digital Humanities - USM

Nestled on 5 acres in Jackson County between Hurley and Lucedale, Mississippi, the Granly Danish Historical Foundation celebrated the 90th anniversary of their historic foersamlinshus (meeting house) with a special open house event held on Sunday, August 17. Built in 1936, the restored building served as an important gathering place for worship, celebrations, and community events for the dozens of Danish-American families who migrated to the area seeking better opportunities during the Great Depression, bringing with them the Danish language, customs, traditions, and farming skills. The families and descendants of Granly still celebrate and honor their Danish roots through special events and celebrations held at the meeting house today. Check out WLOX’s piece on the Danish influence on the coast life https://www.wlox.com/2026/08/10/coast-life-danish-influence-lives-jackson-county/ as well as a glimpse of the special open house event https://www.wlox.com/2026/08/17/granly-community-center-marks-90-years-danish-heritage-jackson-county/.

USM University Libraries and the Center for Digital Humanities has partnered with the foundation to help preserve this legacy.

Special Collections

Coast Life: Danish influence lives on in Jackson County There’s a small corner of Jackson County where the Danish influence lives on about a century after settlers first called it their home.

“The skills I gained here will shape my future academic and career goals by preparing me to find and interpret information through libraries and archives, and to digitize my findings in accessible, meaningful ways,” said Faith Holloway, Communications Studies major at Southern Miss. “It has already influenced my future by encouraging me to build websites, explore new tools, and strengthen both my communication and design skills.” Holloway was one of ten undergraduates from seven universities and colleges across the state selected to participate in the Mississippi Digital Humanities Hub's six-week Summer Residency. Held at Southern Miss from June 15 to July 24, the program offered opportunities to conduct collaborative research and to learn how to use a wide variety of digital humanities tools, including mapping, data visualization, text analysis, digital exhibits, and digital storytelling, that scholars use to interpret cultural material and raise new questions about the past and present.

Dr. Andrew McSorley, the Digital Humanities Postdoctoral Scholar for the Hub, explains that the curriculum was designed to allow students to use the digital humanities to explore stories that matter to their own experiences and communities, with each choosing an independent topic. “When we put students together to do this work, they're constantly testing those questions against each other's perspectives. The collaboration and sense of community of practice that builds from those discussions is where some of the most exciting ideas and learning come from”, he explains.

In addition to the Hub staff, participants were taught by presenters from all over the state, including the University of Mississippi, Mississippi State University, and the Mississippi University for Women, as well as USM faculty and staff, and they visited multiple museums, archives, and libraries where they often received “behind-the-scenes” tours. KC New, Assistant Professor and Interim Director of Research, Instruction & Outreach at Mississippi State University Libraries, attended last year’s Hub 2025 Summer Residency as a participant and was eager to return this year as a presenter. She explains that DH is one of the fields that builds on skills which, unfortunately, are sometimes ignored because we too often assume that undergraduates already know everything about technology. Her presentation showcased a tool, Omeka, that would benefit students down the road. When asked about her presentation, she stated, “Omeka and the metadata that is required are necessary foundation blocks for larger, ‘shinier’ projects,” she explained. “DH is one of those fields where their skill level is their only limit.”

Be sure to check out the WDAM news feature on our 2026 Residency Symposium https://www.wdam.com/2026/07/24/usm-digital-humanities-hub-hosts-residency-research-symposium/.

The residency was the second in a series of three that the Hub is offering, with support and funding from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, which included on-campus housing, meals, travel reimbursements, and stipends.

To view the workshop participants’ projects, please go to https://www.ms-digital-hub.com/summer-workshop-2026/participants. The summer 2027 residency will be geared towards secondary educators.

Check out our Dr. Andrella and the intriguing classes she's teaching this fall! She's so fun!

The Mississippi Digital Humanities Hub at Southern Miss is currently seeking a Postdoctoral Digital Humanities Scholar. Requirements include a PhD in a humanities field (English, History, Philosophy), and at least one year's experience working with DH or DH pedagogy. This one-year grant-funded position is located in Hattiesburg, MS. Please feel free to share.

Local Digital Humanities Community Continues to Grow

"Archives can be used to reconstruct and understand historical developments and preserve traditions, language, stories, and community experiences,” reflects Dr. Sylvia Forster, Hub transcription community volunteer. “They provide direct evidence of past events and help future generations understand their cultural identity and perhaps learn from experiences.” The effort and interest of Hub volunteers, such as Forster, are leading the work of digitized humanities documents through the Hub transcription initiative.

In addition to community volunteers, the Hub is also thrilled to have recently started working with the USM Center for Community Engagement to provide volunteer opportunities for students. Christy Kayser, Director of the Center for Community Engagement, states, “USM students are always looking for ways to give back to their communities, engage with important societal issues, and explore topics of historical significance. Often, time and transportation are limiting factors for students to get involved, so transcribing documents through the MS Digital Humanities Hub is an excellent opportunity for them to earn service hours and learn about Mississippi history, all on their own time and without leaving home.” In the short time since the Mississippi Digital Humanities Hub began working with the Center for Community Engagement, volunteers have made over 160 contributions.

Other digital humanities services supported by the Mississippi Digital Humanities Hub are expanding as well. The Hub discussion forum, an asynchronous chat room, which serves as an interactive space for professionals and community members to share DH ideas, troubleshoot digital projects, and share solutions, is one example. Avantika Mittapally, Digital Developer of the Hub, shares that the integration of the AI chatbot with the Hub Discussion Forum makes it easier for users to get help. “If the chatbot cannot answer a question, users can create a support thread directly from the chat interface without registering for an account. A private email link is sent to the user so they can track responses and continue the conversation,” she explains. Registered users are redirected to the Discussion Forum, where they can create and manage threads through their existing account.

Whether engaging in the transcription of historical documents or brainstorming DH ideas with a community of practice, the ever-evolving field of the digital humanities continues to grow both locally, statewide, and globally. This summer, we are thrilled to offer our second residency, the second of three we are offering with support and funding from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. This summer’s residents are undergraduates from institutions of higher learning throughout the state and who, during this six-week immersive experience, will have the opportunity to learn new digital humanities and research skills and produce final projects that will contribute to our knowledge and understanding of Mississippi history and culture. Dr. Forster sums up the value of this work, “Archival efforts need to be supported in a world where truth seems to be morphing and eluding our everyday experiences. In the world of Instagram, Tik-Tok and a myriad of 30-second bits, archival records afford long-term cultural, historical, legal and research value.”

“Voyant as a tool is super helpful to analyze and understand essays, or any text document in general, especially saving on study time. I would highly recommend it,” states computer science freshman Krish Raj Bhattarai. Bhattarai credits his new knowledge of this digital tool to attending the Global Digital Humanities Symposium watch party and Transcribe-athon, which was offered by the Hub and the Center for Digital Humanities on the USM Hattiesburg campus April 13-15. In addition to accessing a 3D imaging lightbox, a zine station, and examples of free open-source DH tools, attendees were also able to hear from Digital Humanities specialists from across the world, as well as participate in a Transcribe-athon. The symposium experience afforded students, faculty, staff, and the community opportunities to learn about mapping relationships and places, reconstructing spaces, exploring connections between people or languages, and transforming two-dimensional archives into visually compelling collections—all of which is just the tip of the iceberg of the ever-evolving creativity and usability of digital humanities tools and methods.

With this inaugural local Global Digital Humanities Symposium event, Southern Miss joined hundreds of schools and scholars who participate in the conference, now in its 11th year. Conference participants attend in-person, live-streamed, and virtually with bilingual support. Dr. Jennifer Andrella, Assistant Professor of History and Digital Humanities at USM, and also one of the panelists at this year’s conference, states, “As we work to build a Digital Humanities community here at Southern Miss, I was inspired to host a watch party that invited members of our community to explore the possibility of Digital Humanities together.” Andrella has served on the Advisory Board of the symposium for 3 years and has attended the conference annually since grad school. “I’ve always appreciated how they make everyone feel welcome, no matter their background or skill level.” She explains it is a great opportunity for those interested in DH, but who are unsure how to begin using digital methods, to see how others incorporate DH into their research and teaching. It can provide a spark of motivation.

The Transcribe-athon, held on the final day of the event, allowed participants to transform historical documents from partnering institutions that might be difficult to read and impossible to search online into internet-searchable documents that tell marvelous stories. Utilizing the Hub’s website, participants transcribed and reviewed 251 items. The Hub transcription page includes OCR (Optical Character Recognition), which can help speed up the transcription process for not only typed documents but also those that are handwritten, though human review is still a must. A leaderboard was created for this special Transcribe-athon event, adding a little stimulating competition. First place transcription winner, Marnie Hageman, a Ph.D. Candidate in English and Assistant Director of Composition states, “While I have some previous experience with transcription, the Transcribe-athon was the most fun and comfortable experience I’ve had in an environment that welcomed newcomers and seasoned documentarians alike. Whether I was helping to transcribe a community cookbook or children’s poetry, I could see my contributions uploaded to the Hub in real time as I collaborated with my peers and professors to preserve these meaningful cultural documents.”

The GDHS is just one of the many opportunities for those wanting to learn and increase their projects and skills. Andrella concludes, “In addition to this watch party, we hope to host other gatherings that help foster a supportive environment where everyone feels encouraged to pursue their DH goals.” For more information on the Hub transcription initiative, please visit https://www.ms-digital-hub.com/transcription.

You're invited to transcribe the Archives! Join us on Wednesday, April 15th, for our Transcribe-athon & Lunch competition. Help transcribe historical documents with the Mississippi Digital Humanities Hub transcription tool! Your contributions will make these documents more accessible to researchers and the community. No transcription experience required! Drop in and stay as long as you’d like. Lunch will arrive at 11am.

April 15 | 10am-2pm, lunch at 11am | Cook Library Room 207

You’re invited! Join us for a watch party of the Global Digital Humanities Symposium and a Transcribe-athon of historical documents with the Mississippi Digital Humanities Hub. This event is free and open to all, and light refreshments will be included! RSVP today!

Watch Party: April 13-14 | 8am-5pm | Library Room 209A
The Global Digital Humanities Symposium is a free, annual conference that convenes an international community of DH practitioners to engage with the relationships between technology, culture, and global issues. Since its founding at Michigan State in 2016, the symposium highlights innovative digital scholarship while centering conversations on equity, representation, and justice. The watch party provides a fun, communal space where Global Digital Humanities Symposium sessions will be streamed live for our own DH community!

Transcribe-athon: April 15 | 10am-2pm, lunch at 11am | Library Room 207
Transcribe historical documents with the Mississippi Digital Humanities Hub transcription tool! Your transcriptions will help make these documents more accessible to researchers and the community. No transcription experience required! Drop in and stay as long as you’d like. Lunch will arrive at 11am.

Send your RSVP for this event here:
https://www.paperlesspost.com/go/pNPYYWbsBqZ7PxATkEby8j

Check out the Global DH Symposium Schedule here:
https://msuglobaldh.org

Digital Humanities and the Archive: Communicating Digital Skills, Career Pathways, and Cultural Heritage This talk reflects on Dr. Andrella's path into Digital Humanities and my interests in cultural heritage and history. Drawing on my training and experience with Digital Humanities, this talk will also focus on career opportunities and how to leverage digital skills for the job market. She also explor...