Hub Staff
Directors
David Theo Goldberg
David Theo Goldberg, Ph.D., is the Director of the University of California Humanities Research Institute, the University of California system-wide research facility for the human sciences and theoretical research in the arts. He also holds faculty appointments as Professor of Comparative Literature and Criminology, Law and Society at UC Irvine, and is a Fellow of the UCI Critical Theory Institute. Professor Goldberg's work ranges over issues of political theory, race and racism, ethics, law and society, critical theory, cultural studies and, increasingly, digital humanities.
Mimi Ito
Mizuko (Mimi) Ito is a cultural anthropologist, studying youth new media practices in the US and Japan. She oversees research activities of the Digital Media and Learning Hub and is developing a research area focused on interest-driven learning. She is an Associate Researcher at the UC Humanities Research Institute, and has appointments at the Department of Informatics and the Department of Anthropology at UC Irvine. http://www.itofisher.com/mito
Research Staff
Heather A. Horst
Heather A. Horst is a sociocultural anthropologist who studies the relationship between place, space and new media. Her previous ethnographic work, based in Jamaica and the United States, focused upon material culture and transnational migration, mobile communication and the developing world and the role of digital media in shaping domestic space. She is currently a Research Fellow in the MA Program in Digital Anthropology at University College London and the Network Coordinator for the learning research network based at the University of California Humanities Research Institute at UC Irvine.
HyeRyoung Ok
HyeRyoung Ok is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California Humanities Research Institute, Irvine, working for the Digital Media and Learning Hub. Currently she is carrying out research for the Public Participation Research Network led by Joe Kahne. As a cultural studies scholar, HyeRyoung looks at newly emerging transmedia culture from interdisciplinary perspective, with a focus on the transition of cinematic tradition to digital media, mobile media culture, and transnational flow of cultural content, particularly in East Asian context.
Becky Herr Stephenson
Becky Herr Stephenson is Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of California Humanities Research Institute at UC Irvine. She studies digital media production, literacy, and youth media culture. Past ethnographic projects include a case study of school based media production in special education classrooms and media production carried out by Harry Potter fans. Her current research focuses on young people's online reading and writing practices.
External Relations
Jeff Brazil
Jeff is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, writer, editor and media professional with expertise in digital media and strategic communications. A former enterprise writer and editor for the Los Angeles Times, Jeff oversees all digital and strategic communications programs.
Dante Noto
Dante is Associate Director for Research Development and External Relations for the University of California Humanities Research Institute. He also serves as Senior Program Manager of the Digital Media and Learning Competition for the Humanities, Arts, Science, and Technology Advanced Collaboratory.
Jennifer Wilkens
Jennifer has studied and worked in the fields of design, photography, and communications both in the United States and in her native Germany. Her current projects for the UC Humanities Research Institute include web editor, submission of grant proposals, and design and coordination of print and electronic communications.
Technology Team
Alexander Halavais
Alex Halavais is an associate professor of interactive communication at Quinnipiac University and researches the effect of networked individualism on instutional and social change. As technical director, he helps to create collaborative infrastructure, research scaffolding, and common ground. He blogs at a thaumaturgical compendium, and infrequently tweets @halavais.
Desiree Rivera
Desiree is a programmer/analyst for the University of California Humanities Research Institute.
Research Operations
Mariko Oda
Mariko Oda is an administrative professional with many years of experience in corporate and educational entities. She assists Mimi Ito and her digital media and learning team on administrative matters and project management.
UC Humanities Research Institute Operations
Arielle Read
Arielle has been manager of the University of California Humanities Research Institute since November 2008. Before moving to UCHRI, she served for 14 years as the graduate program administrator for the MFA Programs in Writing and the Ph.D. Program in Comparative Literature at UC Irvine.
Consultants
Jason Schultz
Jason Schultz advises on the legal dimensions of Digital Media and Learning Hub online sites, data sharing and intellectual property, and is conducting research on the policy implications of data sharing in the Digital Media and Learning initiative. He is Director of the Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic at UC Berkeley.