Research Assistant for Prof. Adrienne Brown

Opportunity Description:


Job Title: Undergraduate Student Research Assistant – Arts + Public Life Cultural Stewardship

 

Position Summary:
The Undergraduate Student Research Assistant will support an Arts + Public Life project focused on the Washington Park neighborhood in Chicago. This position involves cataloging and organizing materials, conducting archival research, and helping build a digital archive to support historical and community-focused research. The position offers hands-on experience in research methodologies and the use of historical data to explore the impact of urban development on the South Side of Chicago.

The Research Assistant will collaborate with project staff to launch a cohort-based learning and discussion group in Spring 2025 about the people and culture of the Washington Park neighborhood during the 1980s - 2000s.. The goal for the research is to support this community engagement by collecting and making available relevant source material that the cohort can reference and utilize. Through the research work for this project, the Research Assistant will have opportunities to:

  • assist the APL team in setting context for this time period of rapid change in Washington Park, a neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago
  • Hear firsthand accounts of lived experiences and connect them to archived materials
  • witness their research being accessed and utilized by people in the surrounding community

 

Responsibilities:

  • Cataloging and Organizing: Review, organize, and catalog Washington Park-related materials, including photos, documents, and other media, gathered over several years. This will form the foundation of a digital archive.
  • Archival Research: Use online and physical databases to research and retrieve newspaper articles, photos, and media on significant City of Chicago events impacting the South Side.
  • Interactive Mapping: Support the production of a spatial representation (such as a digital map) of significant Washington Park-related events.
  • Historical Analysis: Trace specific blocks or buildings affected by urban renewal, tracking changes in the built environment in Washington Park.
  • Contextual Research for Cohort Engagement: Retrieve and organize archival information about relevant historical events, helping to add time-based context to cohort members' shared experiences.
  • Digital Archive Development: Assist in creating and maintaining a digital archive for APL and cohort members’ use.

 

Qualifications:

  • Current undergraduate student with an interest in history, urban studies, culture, archival science, library science, City of Chicago and South Side histories, or a related topics.
  • Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
  • Experience or interest in digital archiving, research, and cataloging.
  • Ability to work independently, as well as collaboratively with team members.
  • Familiarity with Chicago South Side history is a plus.

Application Process: 

Application Form

For more information on this opportunity, please contact:

Adrienne Brown
Faculty Title: 
Professor
Department: 
English and Race, Diaspora and Indigeneity