Mellon Post-Baccalaureate Fellow
Center for Digital Learning and Research
The Center for Digital Learning and Research (CDL+R) at Occidental College offers a one-year
Mellon Post-Baccalaureate Fellowship focusing on visual argumentation and interactive or
pervasive modes of learning. The Mellon Post-Bac will explore the implications of emerging
technologies, working closely with CDL+R staff and Occidental College faculty and students on a
variety of digital and experiential projects.
We seek a recent college graduate who can serve as a catalyst in experimental scholarly work
being conducted at Occidental at the intersection of information, technology, and social spaces.
The successful candidate will contribute to investigations of transformative learning, support
CDL+R initiatives for developing digital media scholarship at Occidental College, and advocate
for these projects in their interactions with students and faculty.
Requirements for the position include a Bachelor’s degree (BA or BS) from an accredited
institution. Major and minor are not specified, but disciplines of preferred study include
political science, world affairs, history, languages and literatures, music, psychology, cognitive
science, media studies, geography, sociology, philosophy, and religious and/or cultural studies.
Desirable qualities include: prior experience in interdisciplinary academic contexts, design
experience and aptitude, and specialized knowledge of tools, platforms and methods for data
visualization and/or game-based learning.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Assist in the development and implementation of a custom-designed web application
and media installation for a major new center at Occidental College for the study of
global affairs, politics and foreign language area studies.
2. Assist in the planning and implementation of a pervasive game to develop digital media
fluencies amongst Occidental College students.
3. Work with faculty and students across the curriculum to help them learn and adopt new
ways of incorporating digital content and technologies into their teaching and learning.
4. Develop and conduct training sessions, workshops, and a speaker series around topics
of techno-pedagogy, new modes of digital scholarship and publishing, and the
development, use, and assessment of digital content and technologies in instruction and
research.
Occidental’s Center for Digital Learning and Research
Occidental College is in the midst of an ambitious, forward-looking effort to re-imagine its
library space and services as an Academic Commons, a scholastic environment that makes
visible the institution’s commitments as a 21st century liberal arts and sciences college. A key
element in this transformation is the Center for Digital Learning+Research, a campus center
designed to enable useful connections among digital content, technologies, and services to
support teaching, learning, research, and new types of scholarly work for faculty and students.
The Mellon-funded Post-Baccalaureate Fellow is expected to demonstrate and support modes
of innovative learning that will help shape and define the Academic Commons.
The center supports faculty in the exploration of new pedagogies and practices, in the use of
course management systems and classroom technologies, and in exploration and development
of incubator programs, web tools, e-publishing and digital collections. The professional staff
actively creates connections among faculty, students and partners beyond College boundaries
to foster exploration, experimentation and innovation, especially in new applications of digital
technologies to scholarly work.
About the College:
Occidental College is in Eagle Rock, a neighborhood in the northeastern corner of the city of Los
Angeles. The College offers a unique combination of a rigorous academic program, intimate
scale, a diverse student body, and all the resources of Los Angeles. An interdisciplinary, handson approach to the liberal arts takes place in a close-knit community of excellent teacherscholars and involved students that focus on creativity, academic accomplishment, civic
engagement and making a difference.
Occidental’s location in a world city on the Pacific Ocean and near the mountains and deserts of
Southern California offers ready access to the broadest array of activities and proximity to
internationally important libraries and museums, not the least of which are the Huntington
Library, the Getty Center, the University of California Los Angeles, the University of Southern
California, Cal Tech, and the Claremont Colleges.
Application Requirements
In addition to a letter of interest, which should address how to best foster digital scholarship
projects tied to visual argumentation and pervasive modes of learning in the context of a liberal
arts college, please include a current resume and three references (confidential letters of
recommendation encouraged).
For Submissions and More Information Contact:
Daniel Chamberlain
Director, Center for Digital Learning+Research
Occidental College
1600 Campus Road
Los Angeles, CA 90041
Please submit materials to: resumes@oxy.edu
There will be a rolling review of applications, starting May 1, 2013. The position will remain
open until filled.