Organization: Bakersfield College
Established in 1913, Bakersfield College is one of the nation’s oldest continually-operating community colleges. The college serves 33,000 students annually on the 153-acre main campus in northeast Bakersfield, at the Delano Campus 35 miles north of Bakersfield, the Weill Institute in downtown Bakersfield, and BC SouthWest in southwest Bakersfield. Our students are diverse and represent the communities we serve, with BC holding designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution. Bakersfield College provides opportunities for students from diverse economic, cultural, and educational backgrounds to attain Associate and Baccalaureate degrees and certificates, workplace skills, and preparation for transfer. Our rigorous and supportive learning environment fosters students’ abilities to think critically, communicate effectively, and demonstrate competencies and skills in order to engage productively in their communities and the world.
The mission of the Norman Levan Center for the Humanities at Bakersfield College is to provide programs that focus on and foster a greater appreciation of the humanities, explore the relevance of the humanities to the practice of medicine, examine and support ethical behavior in business and the professions, recognize and encourage scholarship and intellectual exchange among faculty and students, and involve the Bakersfield community in examining the importance of the humanities in the lives of people.
Project:
The Public Fellow Intern will advance the work established by a National Endowment for the Humanities grant entitled “Energizing the Humanities in California’s San Joaquin Valley,” as well as participate in the college’s academic life through public engagement opportunities, faculty professional development, and scholarly publication. The history of the California’s San Joaquin Valley is important to the historiography of the American Far West. From labor and civil rights history to the migration streams of diverse international migrants, the San Joaquin Valley is a rich region for historical study and preservation. Our NEH grant is designed to highlight important interdisciplinary humanities scholarship and new research perspectives on issues of importance to California’s Central Valley. The public fellow will continue advancing this grant project by engaging the campus and surrounding community in the issues and methods of his or her academic research through a public presentation, exhibition, digital humanities project, and/or other public format; a seminar-style presentation to community college faculty; and a 2,000–3,000-word publication in the Levan Humanities Review. The fellow may be affiliated with any discipline and we especially encourage applicants with research interests that align with issues of importance to rural California communities and/or California’s Central Valley, such as immigration, Chicanx studies, and agricultural and labor history. The intern will:
- Advance the NEH Community College grant “Energizing the Humanities in California’s San Joaquin Valley” at Bakersfield College
- Offer a public research presentation(s) to the campus community in the form of a faculty seminar and student presentation
- Participate in a short multimedia interview(s) on fellowship activity in consultation with college media partners
- Work with the NEH project director in designing and implementing a public engagement opportunity to showcase original research methods to local community-based organizations and their constituent communities throughout the San Joaquin Valley, e.g., partnering with social justice or immigrant rights groups, environmental organizations, cultural heritage organizations, or other San Joaquin Valley-based organizations. Digital humanities exhibitions or projects are welcome and encouraged.
- Complete a short scholarly article (2,000-3,000 words) on the fellowship year experience for the Levan Humanities Review in consultation with the Norman Levan Center Director.
Oversight for the project will be provided by Dr. Oliver A. Rosales, Professor of History and NEH Project Director for “Energizing the Humanities in California’s San Joaquin Valley” and Dr. Reggie Williams, Professor of Philosophy and Director for the Norman Levan Center for the Humanities at Bakersfield College. The internship will commence during Fall 2019 and can be completed as late as April 2020. The faculty seminar, public presentation, and publication submission will occur in that order at a timetable to be agreed upon by the intern and Professors Rosales and Williams.