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Daniel H

- Research Program Mentor

PhD candidate at Princeton University

Expertise

literature, philosophy, aesthetics, political thought, history, comics, graphic novels of empire and colonialism

Bio

I am a PhD candidate at Princeton University, where I research Caribbean literature and film. I am broadly interested in the arts and the humanities, and I look forward to helping students develop projects that are socially aware, historically informed, and driven by their creativity. In my spare time I check the price of Bitcoin.

Project ideas

Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

Decolonizing X

The term decolonization has recently become part of the mainstream vocabulary of activism, resistance, and social justice. Increasingly we hear calls for decolonizing the mind, the classroom, libraries, museums, humanitarianism, environmentalism, etc. Students will analyze an object, space, or idea of their choice from the standpoint of decolonization. Following careful research into the chosen topic as well as into the history and politics of decolonization, the project might culminate in a scholarly article, a curatorial statement, a series of op-eds, and so on.

Politics and Language

How do words create meaning? How does language affect others and the world around us? What is the relationship between discourse and power? By posing these questions in connection with a topic of their choosing, students will learn how to analyze speech acts (for example: songs, novels, memes, a controversial Tweet, a marketing campaign, and so on). This project will exercise research and argumentation skills, exposing students to the fundamentals of rhetorical theory and generating new insights into social issues they care about.

Build Your Own: Note-Taking System

Note-taking has a long history. Students will draw on old and new methods, on ancient techniques and the latest apps to build a knowledge base and annotation skills that can grow with them throughout college and beyond. Guided research into a topic of the student's choosing will provide the raw material for the notes. In lieu of a published research paper, students might decide to create a website where they can publish their notes in the form of a "digital garden" (or what used be called a commonplace book).

Coding skills

HTML, CSS, LaTeX

Languages I know

Spanish

Teaching experience

I have taught 10+ classes in U.S. universities on topics like genocide, protest, African-American literature, world literature, American cinema, graphics novels, comics, and fanfiction. I have also coached high schoolers through the college application process and into Ivy League institutions and top public universities.

Credentials

Education

University of Pennsylvania (UPenn)
BA Bachelor of Arts (2009)
English
Princeton University
MA Master of Arts (2015)
English
Princeton University
PhD Doctor of Philosophy candidate
English

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