The Pitt World History Center is offering one Graduate Student Assistantship (GSA) in Public History for the fall 2022 semester. We seek Pitt graduate students in a degree-seeking program in the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences (this does not include certificates), at any stage of their program, who are eligible for university funding and interested in developing a project that relates to the role of Pittsburgh or the University of Pittsburgh in the transregional and global past. The project should incorporate archival materials from Pitt’s Archives and Special Collections holdings. The project will culminate in a display or an activity at the World History Association Annual Meeting at Pitt in June 2023 The product of your research should take the form of public history rather than an academic paper. It may, for example, be an exhibition of artifacts, a video, or a walking tour.
We take the term public history broadly. We require only that your project’s target audience extend beyond undergraduate majors or scholars in your discipline and field. Your application should explain how your project addresses the interests of WHA attendees and related audiences and how it will incorporate Archives and Special Collections holdings. . For examples of past GSA in Public History projects, visit the WHC GSA page.
The time commitment and remuneration for this position are equivalent to those for a TA-ship. The GSA cannot be held concurrently with another fellowship.
By June 17, 2022 please submit to whc@pitt.edu:
- a 500-word document that describes a proposed project in terms of its intellectual significance and its relationship to the field of world history, its relationship to the history of Pitt or Pittsburgh, and its use of Archives and Special Collections holdings. The proposal should also demonstrate a familiarity with the research topic and explain how work you have already completed will allow you to complete your proposed project within one semester.
- a 250-word description of a Fall 2022 workplan which will result in a completed project that you will present in June 2023
- a well-justified budget of up to $1000 for project-related costs
- C.V.
- an email from an advisor stating that you are in good standing and that you are being recommended for this position
We welcome applications from students in any discipline or program in the Dietrich School whose proposal substantially concerns world history. WHC Director Ruth Mostern and Associate Director Molly Warsh will offer intellectual supervision and guidance as you complete your project, and WHC Research Associate Alexandra Straub will provide logistical support. This position is an opportunity for you to use materials and themes that may be related to your own dissertation research in order to create a public-facing project that can become a distinctive piece of your professional portfolio.