As the Spring 2022 semester starts, OHMA students from 2021 and 2020 cohorts are finalizing the proposal of their thesis projects, while some sucessfully landing funding support from Graduate School of Arts and Science at Columbia. We want to congratulate OHMA students Chris Pandza (2021), Han Powell (2021), Margie Cook (2020) and Kae Bara Kratcha (2020), Courtney Scott (2019) for receiving the GSAS student research grant this year!

OHMA will be providing a $300 seed funding, which GSAS will match, bringing the amount each recipient get to $600. This support could be used for research travel, transcription, technical support, equipment, honoraria for narrators or collaborators, etc.

Chris Pandza (2021)

NLP Application in Oral History

Chris is researching how machine learning (in particular, Natural Language Processing) can create new opportunities for oral historians.

Han Powell (2021)

Queer Florida

Queer Florida is an oral history project documenting the stories of LGBTQ+ Floridians doing organizing and creative work in their communities, and exploring connection to environment and identity through a queer, Southern lens. To follow the project's progress, visit queerflorida.life.

Courtney Scott (2019)

I Am Your Nanny / I am [not] your [m]other

“I Am Your Nanny / I am [not] your [m]other" is an oral history project about career nannies living and working in New York. It is an exploration that combines oral history, poetry, prose, film, and mixed media. The narrators and I will be collaborating over the next month to review the materials, which are currently housed on a private website, and hope to open the project to the public in the new year."

Kae Bara Kratcha (2020)

Entering Fractal Worlds

Using the Emergent Strategy principle of fractals and role playing game character creation mechanics, Kae is setting out to archive lived and speculative lives of trans tattoo artists in New York City. The project will ask what trans tattooers know and imagine about queer joy, thriving, and community and present those knowledges back to a trans audience.

Margie Cook (2020)

Reimagining the Family Archive as a Multi-Dimensional Space

Margie Cook is working on an oral history project that seeks to reimagine the family archive as a multidimensional space. She hopes her thesis work will spark new discussions around experimental archival practices. This grant will cover the costs associated with artists' materials and equipment, transcription and translation services, and printing expenses.