HASTAC Digital Friday 2024; Hiranya Mukherjee,Hamida Khatri, Elizabeth Varkey and Stella J. Fritzell

Описание: March 22nd, 2024

“Digital Horizons: Navigating Stories, Realities, and Visions”

This title hints at the innovative exploration of narrative through video games and literature (Hiranya Mukherjee’s focus), the transformative potential of virtual reality in addressing social issues (Hamida Khatri’s research), and the evolving landscape of graphic novels in the digital age (Elizabeth Varkey’s study). Prepare to dive deep into thought-provoking discussions with our next Digital Friday Presentation on March 22nd. We are thrilled to introduce three scholars who will share their work for this session.

Hiranya Mukherjee

Title: “The [C]rime of the Ancient Mariner: Locating the Hermeneutics of Trauma and its Sublimation in the Mariner’s Journey and Dark Souls”

Bio:

Hiranya Mukherjee is an independent scholar interested in studying video games as mediums of storytelling and narrative, comics, climate change representations, gothic studies, sci-fi, and fantasy. He has published his work in such journals as Games and Culture and the International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences. Besides his academic engagements, he also dabbles in creative writing and has published a short story titled “Bound” in the Fables collection. He recently graduated from Presidency University, Kolkata, and is working towards his PhD.

Hamida Khatri

Title: “Empowering Change: Virtual Reality for Gender-Based Violence”

Hamida Khatri, a PMP® (Project Management Professional) certified gender-based violence expert and a social justice advocate, stands at the forefront of technological and sociological research. She is furthering her academic journey by pursuing her Ph.D. in Arts, Technology, & Emerging Communication at the University of Texas at Dallas. Simultaneously, she is advancing her skills in emerging technologies in Augmented/Virtual Reality from the NYU Tandon School of Engineering and in Advanced Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning from the University of Texas at Austin. Hamida is the Director and driving force behind VR Catalyst, an innovative non-profit organization leveraging virtual reality gaming simulation and therapy to support victims and survivors of gender-based violence. Hamida’s creative approach marries Computational Social Science with elements of Islamic Art and South Asian Studies, providing an in-depth understanding of the psychological implications of gender-based violence.

Elizabeth Varkey

Title: “Seeing/ Reading the Graphic Novel through a DH Lens”

Ms. Elizabeth Varkey is an Assistant Professor in English at CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Pune Lavasa Campus, India where she teaches the MA in English with Digital Humanities program. She holds an MPhil from the University of Delhi and is pursuing her doctoral studies at Savitribai Phule Pune University. Her research is focused on the representation of refugees in graphic narratives. Earlier she had interned with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in New Delhi, where she initiated a comic book project for Rohingya refugee children. She has spent the last ten years studying, researching, and teaching graphic novels and has been instrumental in framing syllabi that include graphic narratives across institutions. An avid researcher, she has presented at various national and international conferences and is a HASTAC scholar. In her spare time, she enjoys creative writing, traveling, and bird watching.

Stella J. Fritzell

Title: “(Re)framing Myth: Ancient Texts and Digital Tools”

Stella J. Fritzell is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Greek, Latin, & Classical Studies at Bryn Mawr College. Her dissertation research investigates the intersection of myth and landscape as it is experienced through monuments dedicated to fallen enemies. Stella was instrumental in developing the Digital Scholarship Summer Fellowship program for undergraduate students at Bryn Mawr College. She has since accompanied Bryn Mawr project teams at ILiADS (Institute of Liberal Arts Digital Scholarship) and has served as a liaison to teams from Carleton College and Grinnell College in 2022 and 2023. She served as project manager on “Greek Drama/Black Lives: Intergenerational Collaboration in Philadelphia”, which was awarded a 2022 ACLS Sustaining Public Engagement Grant. Stella is additionally an Adjunct Instructor in the College of Public Health at Temple University, where she teaches courses on Aikido and introductory martial arts.


Digital Fridays is a series of online presentations featuring technology, arts, humanities, and sciences, where HASTAC Scholars and distinguished experts spearhead the exploration of pioneering topics. The series designed to expand our understanding of how various disciplines integrate digital tools into their practices.


Parisa Setayesh and Coline Chevrin
HASTAC Scholars Co-Directors