08/12/2026
“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.
