Jamie’s Blog

When I first came upon the term Digital Humanities, it was during the application process for my current position as Public Programs and Outreach Liaison for the Mississippi Digital Humanities Hub at The University of Southern Mississippi. As I researched the topic, I soon realized that there is no one definitive term because DH is more of a concept that, depending on the objective of the final goal, can include a variety of data, tools, and processes, which are ever-evolving based on the implementation of creativity and imagination. Humanities, which explores human society and culture, combined with tools and ingenuity developed by STEM fields, come together to give the basic building blocks of DH.

Though the term DH is relatively new, I think about the components of previous positions I have held and see the development of small concepts that have now blossomed in the DH realm. I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Social and Rehabilitation Services from The University of Southern Mississippi and a Master’s degree in Community Counseling from Mississippi College while simultaneously working first in the financial industry, then in rehabilitation services, serving individuals with disabilities. In the latter field, I worked at the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services where, I was part of a grassroots grant, Project START (Success Through Assistive Rehabilitative Technology), one of the first 13 in the country to bring concepts, knowledge, and experts to train speech pathologists, special education teachers, and occupational therapists on the latest assistive devices, tools, software and methods to increase the independence of individuals with disabilities. It was during this era when AT was just hitting the market with specialized applications that I met Walt, a successful financial advisor who, despite not being able to utilize his legs nor arms, was able to transact stock buying, selling, and customer correspondence through the aid of a radical software named Dragon Dictate which featured a brand-new cutting-edge concept called voice-to-text. Though there are many stories, I am still moved when I think of our precious eight-year-old client who despite no arm nor leg control, not able to speak, and who possessed very limited head movement, was able to train with one of our specialists on a new concept augmentative communication device and a modified penpoint light attached to the side of his head. I was there to witness when his sweet Mama entered the room and, by carefully controlling the light to activate the individual words stored under the buttons, for the first time in his life, he was able to tell his mother, “I..love…you”.

Years later with MDRS, I worked as Public Relations Editor and agency photographer. Thanks to a WordPerfect for Dummies book and a supportive IT team, I was the first in the agency to use the WP software. In addition to the development of brochures and legislative reports, I was also in charge of our internal and external newsletters, which included interviewing and writing our clients’ success stories, which began my love of storytelling.

Eventually, I became a freelance writer and photographer with over 250 published articles, including stories on the step-by-step process of hand making guitars, growing up as a third-generation bull rider, and flicking sawdust out of my hair while interviewing a former tub boat captain who became the world champion chainsaw carver.  Additionally, I created a self-syndicated column which featured Mississippians with Hollywood careers, and I co-authored a book for Forrest General Hospital and was a contributing author/photographer for three others around the state. While transmission of the story text was simplified through online submissions early in my career, the eventual accessibility to digital photo submissions online was a game changer, allowing me to work totally remotely with out-of-town publications and meet tighter deadlines with local ones.

In any industry, marketing is essential especially online in our digital age. While I had two personal websites for promoting my writing, it was when I entered the field of Real Estate that the tools of analytics and the concept of blog posts with key search words to drive traffic to the site in addition to promoting our local sales coverage area came into play. The field of social media continues to boom today and I find it exciting to see the interactions from readers when I post online in my current position at the Hub.

With the Hub, I have been able to connect with archivists, librarians, teachers, genealogists, and others across the state about our program. No matter if they are from the north, south, east, or west,  the unified voice has sounded the desire to share their community’s story and make it more accessible, specifically, online. With many treasures in boxes, on dusty shelves, or fragile items with limited access, they see the need but are not sure how to make it happen. I am excited to be a part of the Hub and desire to be able to have a more thorough working knowledge of DH to help our Mississippi communities share their wonderful, unique stories and treasures.

Curious about Digital Humanities, resources, or joining a DH chat thread? Visit https://www.ms-digital-hub.com/.