Jason M. Kelly

Teaching

I teach a range of courses at the undergraduate and graduate level. Much of my teaching over the past few years has focused on the History of Science, Technology, and the Environment and has included courses such as the History of the Anthropocene, the History of Evolution and Human Consciousness, and the History of Science and Technology since 1750. I also teach the graduate seminar in Digital Public History and the History of Social and Cultural Theory seminar for the American Studies PHD Program. 

In the classroom, I emphasize the importance of dialogue and interdisciplinarity. Students can expect broad ranging conversations that emerge from their weekly primary and secondary readings. Assignments focus on developing disciplinary-specific and interdisciplinary knowledge, skills, and competencies. These assignments tend to be cumulative, often resulting in collaborative digital humanities (e.g. historical GIS) or community based (e.g. oral histories) projects.  

In addition to formal university classes, I also co-teach a number of non-credit, community-based seminars and workshops. These include the Art+Ethics Seminar Series, which began in 2017, and the Environmental Justice Seminar, which began in 2020.  

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RECENT Courses

THEORies of Public Problem Solving

FALL 2022 | R 11-1:30 | AMST A601

This course examines theoretical approaches to the meaning of 'America' by asking students to Engage with theories central to the field of American Studies, including: post-structuralism, queer studies, and post-colonialism as well as race, gender, sexuality, class, and religion. Students will apply them to a particular question or problem of academic interest.

The purpose of the course is to introduce students to some of the key theoretical debates that have dominated social science and humanities scholarship over the past 150 years. We will read authors such as Karl Marx, Max Weber, W.E.B. Du Bois, Theodor Adorno, Antonio Gramsci, Frantz Fanon, Michel Foucault, bell hooks, Donna Haraway, Judith Butler, Alexander Weheliye, and more.


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Recent courses

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Social & Cultural Theory since 1900

This course is a graduate level survey of social and cultural theory. The purpose of the course is to introduce students to the key theoretical debates that have dominated social science and humanities scholarship over the past 150 years. We will read authors such as Karl Marx, Max Weber, Max Horkheimer, Theodor Adorno, Antonio Gramsci, Frantz Fanon,Michel Foucault, bell hooks, Donna Harraway, Judith Butler, Chela Sandoval, Henri Lefebvre, and many more. 

Longsheng Rice Terrace

HistoRy & the Global Anthropocene

Humanity is facing a global environmental crisis, but this crisis didn’t begin recently. It is the consequence of a historical process that has been unfolding over hundreds of years. This course examines the socio-cultural conditions that has made the Anthropocene possible — imperialism, industrialization, capitalism, urbanization, and more.

Neanderthal Skull

History of Evolution & Human Consciousness

This course examines the deep history of humanity by asking the question, "what makes us human?" The answer requires that we explore the histories of religion, philosophy and science. It necessitates that we study the evolution of humans—and most importantly the evolution of brains, consciousness, and culture. We will draw on research from biology, anthropology, and history to explore our pasts, presents, and futures.

Nam June Paik. Electronic Superhighway: Continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii 1995-96. Smithsonian.

Digital Public History

Digital History is a branch of the Digital Humanities concerned with the the creation and critical application of digital technologies to further historical scholarship, develop scholarly communities, and present academic research to non-academic groups. This course introduce students to the basic theory and practice of Digital History, especially as it relates to Public History. At the end of this course students will have a clear understanding of the potentials and pitfalls of Digital History, both in practice and theory.

 

OER Teaching Modules

 
 
Sign that says, "Stay at Home. Protect the NHS. Save Loves."

The Covid-19 Oral History Project Training Modules

This training module was designed for individuals who would like to participate in The Covid-19 Oral History Project by conducting oral histories.

Newspapers Stand in Italy

Understanding Information and Disinformation

Central to any historical work is reading, interpreting, and analyzing texts (whether these texts are written, visual, audio, etc.). Because of this, historians have to read texts very closely, sifting for valuable information and clues. This course module has been created to help students better understand the nature of disinformation, misinformation, and mal-information.

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