Digital Scholarship and Initiatives announces first projects selected for Tracing Race at ISU

The Iowa State University Library Digital Scholarship and Initiatives Department is pleased to announce the first selected projects for the Tracing Race at ISU initiative. The initiative’s advisory group reviewed proposals in May and selected two projects to be completed in the fall semester.

The first was submitted by Dr. Gloria Betcher, teaching professor in the Department of English, in partnership with the Ames History Museum, Dr. Ted Grevstad-Nordbrock, assistant professor of historic preservation, and a number of community partners. The project titled “Mapping the Black ISC Student Housing Experience to 1940” will explore the off-campus housing experiences of Black students including where students could live, who supported them in finding housing, and how restrictive covenants affected their housing options.

Another selected proposal was submitted by Deni Chamberlin, associate professor, and Brenda Witherspoon, associate teaching professor, both at the Greenlee School of Journalism. The two will integrate their digital project into the combined fall courses Advanced Photojournalism and The Digital Newsroom. Students will explore a variety of topics related to race and racism, activism, and the accomplishments of members of Iowa State. The result will be an interactive, layered map narrative that builds on concepts of investigative journalism.

The advisory group is excited to see that both projects are collaborative, involve students as key project partners, and explore the history and impact of race at Iowa State University and in the broader Ames Community.

To stay current on Tracing Race at ISU news and updates, click here. For questions, contact Erin Anderson, project lead, at emanders@iastate.edu.