MESSAGE FROM THE SENIOR DIRECTOR, OIS

Greetings from the Office of Interdisciplinary Studies, and Welcome to the 2020s!

January 2020 marks the beginning not just of a new term, but a new decade, with new challenges. Never has interdisciplinary thinking and learning been more important to the ways we engage with the world within and beyond the university.

As the University of Alberta braces for cuts to our provincial grant and the establishment of performance-based metrics, we all will be called upon to think creatively and collaboratively about the worlds we want to build together. The work that happens in OIS and across the Faculty of Arts is preparing us to meet these challenges, as our programs and faculty continue to be in high demand among students and across campus. 

Our new Media Studies program, for instance, is preparing to accept its first students in September 2020. Professor Astrid Ensslin has come on board as Director of Media Studies and is busy guiding the development of our new courses for this program. And, Professor Geoffrey Rockwell has been tasked with developing a new university-wide Signature Area related to Artificial Intelligence. Our Writing Studies colleagues meanwhile, continue to develop a new student writing journal to showcase the best writing our students produce in our always-full WRS classes. Indeed, across all our programs, our faculty and students are reaching across fields and disciplines, whether they are taking Witchcraft in Religious Studies or Data, Power, and Feminism in Digital Humanities and Gender and Social Justice, exciting exchanges are taking place in our classrooms. Not surprisingly, interest in the Environmental Studies BA has never been stronger and our Science, Technology, and Society program continues to draw big numbers, particularly at the 200-level.

Collaboration has never been more important to the work we all do in Arts and in the University more broadly and learning across fields is increasingly important to our students. It is in that spirit of collegial cooperation that the Office of Interdisciplinary Studies wishes you all a successful winter term and a terrific start to this new decade of adventures in learning.

Nat Hurley

MEDIA STUDIES

We are happy to announce a new major coming in Fall 2020! Media Studies (MST) is the study of how to navigate, analyze, critically evaluate, and contribute ethically to today’s global media landscape.This multidisciplinary major examines the content, history and effects of media on our social, political and cultural systems.

Learn more about this exciting new major.

NEW DIRECTOR

Dr. Astrid Ensslin has been appointed the new Director of Media Studies. Astrid is a Professor in Digital Humanities and Game Studies who divides her teaching and research activities between Modern Languages and Cultural Studies, and Digital Humanities. Previously, she held faculty, Faculty management (Deputy Dean Research), research, and teaching positions in the UK, at the Universities of Leeds, Manchester and Bangor. 

Dr. Ensslin's research sits at the multiple intersections between digital media/culture, literary studies and applied linguistics. Her research involves numerous interdisciplinary projects, such as combining digital fiction research with body image psychology; and studying speech accents in videogames using machine learning techniques.

FAREWELL

Tine Tennessen, Administrative Assistant                                         

I am leaving OIS with a heavy heart as it has been one of the happiest times of my working life! Never, have I ever, had the opportunity to work with such an amazing group of sharp witted, open minded, intelligent and kind people. I will miss them terribly but fully intend to come by to harass them from time to time. I may be leaving OIS but I am not leaving the U of A. I am moving to the Department of Biochemistry, which should prove to be very challenging and quite different.

WELCOME

Arin Bandura, Administrative Assistant                                          

I am a temp agent from Interim Staffing Solutions. I have previously worked in administrative roles within multiple departments of the University for over a year now, and am very excited to be joining the OIS team now. In my free time I enjoy writing D&D campaigns, baking, and volunteering for events partnered with Santa’s Anonymous.

STUDENT AWARDS

Congratulations to our undergrad and graduate award recipients!

• Sara Barnard (Digital Humanities) Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship
• Kimberly Coleman (Undergrad) The Badar Haque Award in Islamic Studies
• Hira Downey (Undergrad) The Mohammad Shuaib Award in Islamic Studies
• Luthfia Friskie (Digital Humanities) University of Alberta Graduate Fellowship
• Gina Froese (Religious Studies) Frank Henderson Graduate Scholarship
• Kanan Gandhi (Undergrad) The Bahadurali Mawji, Devjee and Khalfan Award in Islamic Studies
• Michael Gillingham (Religious Studies) University of Alberta Graduate Fellowship
• Zoe Hastings (Undergrad) The M.S. "Jim" and Sid M. Tarrabain Award in Islamic Studies
• Sean Kucher (Entrance Undergrad Transfer) A Spady Family Scholarship in Arts
• Yasemin Kurt (Undergrad) A Zarina Visnani Award in Islamic Studies
• Lea Lavy (Religious Studies) Frank Henderson Graduate Scholarship
• Zhenyan Liu (Digital Humanities) Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship
• Jennifer McDevitt (Digital Humanities) Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship
• Mpooe Mogale (Undergrad) The Gandhi Foundation Scholarship for Peace Studies
• Kathleen Oliver (Digital Humanities) Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship
• Aidan Oswald (Undergrad) The Esther Fraser Memorial Scholarship
• Cindy Owre (Religious Studies) Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship
• Eden Sharp (Undergrad) The Jivanjee-Rahemtulla Award in Islamic Studies
• Jacob Sperling (Undergrad) A Science, Technology and Society Scholarship
• Bennet Tchoh (Digital Humanities) University of Alberta Graduate Fellowship
• Sujood Thraya (Undergrad) A Larry Shaben Scholarship in Islamic Studies
• Salima Versi (Religious Studies) Canadian Arab Friendship Association Graduate Award in Islamic Studies
• Emily Villanueva (Digital Humanities) Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship
• Shauna Weimann (Undergrad) A Larry Shaben Scholarship in Islamic Studies
• Shauna Weimann (Undergrad) The Dr Samer Aldandashi Award in Islamic Studies
• Shauna Weimann (Undergrad) The Erik Seebach Scholarship in Religious Studies
• Shauna Weimann (Undergrad) The Jewish Federation of Edmonton Scholarship

RELIG 102: Introduction to Western Religious Traditions 

M, W, F, 11AM-1PM, May 4-June 10, 2020

This survey course is not only designed to offer an introduction to various religious traditions identified as “Western” but also to acquaint students with the academic study of religion. So not only will a variety of objects that have been classed as "religion" (such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) be examined from an atheistic perspective, we will also look at methodological issues such as the problem of defining religion(s) and what constitutes “Western” in theory and in practice.
So…this won’t be no week day Sunday school…

RELIG  274: Studies in Witchcraft and the Occult 

M, W, F, 3-5PM, May 4-June 10, 2020

This course will NOT teach you how to use magic, or about the hidden history of the Earth Goddess or how to spot “Satanism” or the “Occult”...as fun as that may all be. What this course WILL try to do is--from a methodologically atheistic and skeptical position--explore the category of “witchcraft” and the “occult” on two general levels. One, what kinds of people, ideas and human productions are associated with witchcraft and the occult? How do these activities fit into their broader historical, social, and cultural contexts, and why are people interested in them? In other words, what makes a witch a witch and what makes what they do witchy or occultish? Two, how do people (including scholars) use the terms “witchcraft” and “occult” to classify people and human activities in various contexts? What conceptual work--either positive or negative--do these terms do for them? How useful are concepts like witchcraft and occult for those of us interested in understanding religion as a human production (i.e., those of us engaging in Religious Studies)?

STS 200: Introduction to Studies in Science, Technology and Society

M & W, 5-8PM, May 4-June 10, 2020

An examination of the interrelations of science, technology, society and the environment, emphasizing an interdisciplinary humanities and social sciences perspective.It is your responsibility as a student to ensure that you have the appropriate prerequisite for the course.

Course Objectives and Expected Learning Outcomes:
1. To acquire an awareness of modern western science and technology as a socially contingent phenomenon which has a particular history and conceptual background that shapes our contemporary intellectual milieu.
2. To show by way of illustration and discussion the relevance of STS theory to contemporary social concerns about science, technology and the natural environment.
3. To facilitate critical thinking, writing and discussion about social aspects of science, technology and society.

Digital Humanities Conference 2020

DiHuCon 2020: Patterns of Propagation

Friday March 20, 2020, 9AM-5PM, Digital Scholarship Centre

This year's theme is all about breaking patterns in the age of technology, digital bodies, and digital media. This conference is an opportunity for students to focus on hegemonic patterns of dissemination and distribution, and how to alter their propagation. Showcase how your projects impact the ways in which technology has changed, infected, and joined the mainstream and the humanities.

Currently accepting proposals for: Lightning Talks (5-10 minutes), Paper Presentations (15-20 minutes), Workshops (~1 hour long) and the Poster/Multimedia session. Deadline for submission: February 12, 2020. Submit your abstracts here. 

Questions? Contact dhsa@ualberta.ca (Please include “conference” in your subject line). 

Religious Studies Colloquium Series 2020

Join us for the RELIG 675 Speaker Series monthly on Fridays, 1:00 to 2:30PM, HC 2-26.

SAVE THE DATES!  

• Felice Lifshitz, February 28th, "Useless, Misleading, Harmful, and Entrenched: 'Hagiography' in the 21st Century." 
• Marlijn Meijer, March 27th, topic TBA

Questions? Please contact Josie Hendrickson, Director and Graduate Coordinator, Program in Religious Studies

DHSA: The Digital Humanities Students' Association 

DHSA provides students fun opportunities to socialize throughout the year, to advocate for the DH program at Graduate Students' Association meetings, and to generally meme it up for your enjoyment. Watch the DH listserv for ongoing information. Feel free to email us any questions and like us on Facebook. 

RSUA: Religious Studies Undergraduate Association 

RSUA is a group of Religious Studies majors, minors, enthusiasts, and friends who come together with the common interest of thinking critically about Religion. Some examples of our activities include: movie screenings and our regular “pintification” discussions where we hang out (often with drinks) and discuss a general topic. To get involved, follow us on Facebook.