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Undergrad Hourly Position: Viral Content Data Labeling
Hiring Professor: Tess McNulty, English
Position Type: Hourly, Research Assistant
Total Hours: anywhere from 10-40 hours total, with possibility of continued work
Timeline: Ideally we would complete this work over winter break, and this could be exclusively a winter break position; it could however, either begin in, or extend into spring term; hours could be organized at no more than 6 per week, if necessary.
Rate: 20$/hr for undergraduate student
Ideal Candidate: Undergraduate Student in English, Literature, or the Arts and humanities, or with a proven track record of success in humanities courses.
I am seeking one research assistant to help me label viral content—primarily from Facebook—by genre. During the first phase of this work, we will likely take about 10-20 hours each, labelling 1-2 datasets; we will label the data separately and then meet, periodically, to discuss our choices, and reach agreements, as per a predefined procedure. If that works out, we could then proceed to a next phase of work that will involve more hours (up to 40), and then, potentially, still further, if mutually desired.
A working knowledge of genre, and ability to identify genres of cultural expression based on a provided description is key, so an English, literature, or arts or humanities student, with a proven track record of success in these academic areas, would be a good fit. Ideally, we would complete this first 10-40 hours of work promptly— over winter break, if possible, but also, potentially, in early spring term. Schedule can be flexible based in individual needs. This is also an opportunity to learn about, and gain experience in, research methods concerning digital/social media content.
If interested, please contact me at tessm@illinois.edu to discuss.
Reading Day and Beyond
Stop by the English advising office (Room 200) any day between December 12 and 18 for a chat, a snack, or a crack at the jigsaw puzzle. Drop-in hours are 9:30 to 4 daily.
Check out this course!
From the gas that powers our car to the plastics that make our world, our lives are soaked in oil. Our literature is, too. In this course, we will explore literature through the lens of energy. What do we learn about literature when we read for energy? And how might literature and other humanities methodologies help us contribute new ideas to vital contemporary conversations about energy, climate change, and environmental justice? In this course, we will examine texts that reflect on the politics, aesthetics, economics, and historical significance of energy—from whale oil to oil to wind, solar, and speculative energy sources. We will encounter a variety of texts in this course: novels, newspaper articles, political polemics, historical narratives, and narrative and documentary films. We will not privilege nonfiction over fiction or classic literature over last week’s newspaper articles: rather, we will approach all sources critically, as texts subject to fine-grained literary analysis.
Secondary Education Minor Application
If you are a sophomore English major planning to minor in Secondary Education for the purpose of getting a high school teaching license, please take a look at the admissions site and start preparing (you have until February 1 to submit your application but there are a number of things you will have to do in advance, including getting Anna or Keshia to sign off on a verification form, so this is not something you can do at the last minute).
As a reminder, if you are a first-semester student then you do NOT have to apply yet. This application is for students who anticipate that they will be here for five more semesters (if you are admitted during this winter application period then you will start the licensure sequence in Spring 2026 and you will be expected to graduate at the end of Spring 2027).
Important Scholarship Information
This is just a reminder that the dates for applying to the English department’s scholarship competition are earlier than usual this year.
****Stage One of the English scholarship application process is due Tuesday, January 21, 2025.
Once our office has verified that information and notified you to move forward, Stage Two will be due Monday, February 24, 2025. For the Stage One form, overviews of the process, and information about who is eligible, lease see here: https://english.illinois.edu/academics/scholarships-prizes-awards/awards-scholarships.
The Undergraduate Office held a meeting about the application process in November. If you were unable to attend but are interested (or just have a question) please don’t hesitate to email the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Catharine Gray: cathgray@iinois.edu.
Spring Registration Advising
The English Advising Office is still helping with spring registration! If you want help with registration and haven’t met with an advisor yet, please call the office. We do not schedule via email.
To help you prepare, we have the SP25 “cheat sheet” available on the Planning Coursework page (you will need an Illinois Box account to view the document). This tells you which courses will fall into which categories within the various majors/concentrations (period categories, topical clusters, etc.) in the spring.
As a reminder, if you want to take an English honors seminar (ENGL 396) you must email Nancy Rahn at nrahn@illinois.edu to request permission. Please be sure to include your name and UIN, and the CRN and topic of the course you want to take. Once Nancy contacts you to let you know you have permission to take the course you will be able to add it to your spring schedule. Act now, before the classes fill up, particularly if you are getting close to graduation!
Don’t Forget These!
Call for Presenters
Reminder! Submit to Montage
Montage publishes work by undergraduate students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is now accepting submissions through (tentative date) February 14, 2025.
See this page for more details or email montagejournal@gmail.com with any questions or concerns.
Register for the Cozad New Venture Challenge by Feb. 2!
Click the image above for more information!
UK Summer Fulbright Scholarship Info Session
ONLINE UK Summer Fulbright Scholarship Information Session
Friday, January 10th, 2025, 3:30-4:30 pm
Register in advance for this Zoom session.
Study-Abroad Program in Athens, Greece – Spring & Summer 2025
Greek Studies on Site is a center for the study of Greek literature, philosophy, and culture, located in Athens, Greece.
We offer three-week summer programs, as well as a spring semester program of studies organized in collaboration with the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
FOR COMPLETE SYLLABI AND FURTHER DETAILS, please visit: https://www.greekstudiesonsite.com
Courses of Interest in SP25
Check these out!
ENGL 221: Speculative Futures
This course introduces students to several important conversations arising from the expansive genre of speculative fiction. In this course students will explore some of the most profound, disturbing, and downright bizarre imaginings of the future that human beings have generated. Climate change, ageing, fascist regimes, reproductive rights, technological failures, scientific advancements, and apocalypse are just a few of the possible topics for this class. Course materials will be drawn from literary works, contemporary and historical scientific developments, and cultural theory to explore how and why speculative futures are linked to specific cultural contexts, technologies, and social schemes.
ENGL 247: The British Novel
Novels are experimental spaces for dramatizing the problem of freedom in a chaotic modern world. If we could act with complete freedom, would we like the results, or end up isolated and self-centered? Since the Magna Carta, Britain has defined itself as a free society—but it’s also a small set of islands where it’s not always easy for people to run away from their choices. The British novel of the last three centuries dramatizes the clash between individual desire and community responsibility by using wit and satire to create a limited space of social freedom, and the marriage plot to fetishize a single moment of free choice in a materially determined world. We will learn some historical background that explains the distinctiveness of British traditions from Regency romance to punk rock, but also respond to the novels’ characters as they explore their moral choices and unsettle the hierarchies that constrain them. Our texts will include Daniel Defoe’s Moll Flanders, Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, Charles Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities, George Eliot’s The Mill on the Floss, E. M. Forster’s Howards End, Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse, and Hanif Kureishi’s The Buddha of Suburbia.
Undergraduate Research Symposium
The URS is the signature event of Undergraduate Research Week (April 20 – 26), which brings together students, faculty, and staff from all disciplines on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus, as well as the public, to learn more about undergraduate research and its potential to change the world. Throughout the day, students will present their oral and poster presentations, creative performances, and interactive exhibits to members of the campus and local community.
- When: Thursday, April 24, 2025
- Where: Illini Union (A, B, C, South Lounge, and the 2nd Floor)
- Application Deadline: Friday, March 7, 2025 at 11:59 pm
What Can Be Presented?
- Undergraduate students can present any research project or experience they are a part of, including both in-progress and completed projects or creative works.
- We welcome students to present their research posters, talks, performances, exhibits, and demonstrations. This includes, but is not limited to, art displays, musical and visual performances, architectural exhibits, inventions, and technology demonstrations).
- Students can present individually or in groups. Groups only need to submit one application to present.
- Students can give multiple presentations throughout the day.
Visit the URS webpage for more information, including answers to frequently asked questions.
Applications are currently being accepted. The deadline for applying to the URS is Friday, March 7, 2025, at 11:59 pm and no late submissions will be accepted. Please note, your presentation is not expected to be complete by the application deadline. On the application, you will only be asked to provide a tentative title that can be revised until March 19 and an abstract which will be used internally by OUR to create and organize thematic sessions. Your abstract will not be published or viewed by anyone other than OUR.
New First Gen Undergraduate Research Opportunity for Spring 2025
The First-Gen Scholars Research Program (FSRP) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign offers first-generation college students eligible for federal work-study the opportunity to participate in meaningful and high-impact research. The FSRP allows students to explore the culture and process of research and gain hands-on experience while building on their existing abilities within a supportive community of scholars. Accepted applicants will be matched with one of our experienced faculty mentors – many of whom were First Generation college students. Full details along with faculty profiles can be found online at: https://undergradresearch.illinois.edu/programs/first-gen-scholars-research.html
ATLAS Internships–Application portal for SP25 OPEN NOW!
Need Help With Research?
Peer Mentors are in the Hub!
With the return of the Peer Mentors in the Hub, here are a few reasons to head to the Hub in Lincoln Hall (Tues, Weds, Thurs from 10- 3):
- building a resume from scratch or a quick look before a career fair
- connecting to research around campus
- learning how to gain some other experience to gain insights about your skills and preferences for future jobs
- finding that RSO or other group that are around to join
- Career Services has special drop-in times on Tues, Weds (10-noon)
Confidential Advising Resources
The Women’s Resources Center (WRC) is the designated confidential campus resource related to sexual assault/rape, sexual harassment, stalking and abuse within a relationship (sometimes called dating or domestic violence). That means when we talk with students, staff, and faculty who have experienced harm, we make sure you get what you need and on your terms! There are several Confidential Advisors at the WRC who can provide you – or someone looking to support you – with support and advocacy services.
