I am Director, Research Computing in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Alberta. I work collaboratively with our researchers to develop appropriate computing facilities, maximize their use, and to cultivate research projects in Arts and the humanities which use computing approaches and methodologies. Information about our services is available on the Arts Resource Centre site. There are further details on the Faculty of Arts website, under Research Computing.
I am available for consultation on any research project in Arts which requires computer support – specialized facilities, software, or custom programming.
My research interests include humanities computing activities centred on electronic text, and technology integration:
Click here for links and URLs to my most recent articles and presentations.
Alberta is one of six Canadian humanities computing centres participating in the text analysis research portal called TAPoR. TAPoR is a CFI-funded infrastructure for computing; many projects are using our TAPoR workshop and high-end servers. For more information, please see the TAPoR project's national website. TAPoR sponsors CaSTA, the annual Canadian Symposium on Text Analysis Research. The fourth annual event was held in Edmoton, October 3rd through 7th, 2005: see the Resource Guide links and video summaries of the event on the TAPoR @ UAlberta website.
I am collaborating with David Miall (Alberta) and Anthony Harding (Saskatchewan) on an electronic index to the notebooks of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Information about the project is available at Coleridge Notebooks Index Project website.
We have finished the first phase of work on the Human Resources Development Canada funded research contract, "Providing a Technology Edge for Liberal Arts Graduates". We surveyed the IT skills of bachelor graduates, asked employers what IT skills they are seeking in Arts grads, and are developing instructional materials which will give Arts students the needed computer skills. For more information about the project, please see the Technology Edge website. We are continuing with further research on the IT skills which students bring to their Arts degree, and developing broader implementations with liberal arts college partners.
My present research focus is dynamic text: electronic text which is studied live, as its is deployed on display devices. The text teller is a software environment to explore the possibilities of dynamic text for literary studies. For more information, please see the dynamic text area of this website.
I have most recently taught the Research Methods course in Modern Language and Cultural Studies.
Our Master of Arts in Humanities Computing program has completed its third year. For more information about the program, and directions for applying, please see the Humanities Computing MA program web site.
From April through December 2004, I was Interim Director of Academic Technologies for Learning. [From 1997 to 2002 I was Director of the Arts Technologies for Learning Centre; this Centre's functions are now incorporated in the Arts Resource Centre.]