Work-Study Research Assistant Program

Faculty Name: Gregory Semenza

Faculty Department: English

General Research Focus: I study the meaning, history, and cultural impact of both film and literature. I am especially interested in processes of adaptation whereby older ideas, forms, techniques, and narrative elements are transformed and revitalized across time, diverse cultures, and different media.

Brief Position Description: The research assistant for this position will be expected to navigate a number of electronic databases for the purposes of constructing a comprehensive bibliography of works pertaining to several related book projects; analyze and describe (through well-written, properly formatted annotations, etc.) the most relevant works; help organize filing systems for easy access to these works; and also to help in organizing and managing a massive number of files collected in various film archives. 

Through this position, the student will learn much about the basic work of historically-focused humanities research and writing, from the earliest stages of information gathering through the much later stages of book proposal writing. Through regular meetings with the professor, the student will benefit from open, transparent conversations about the purposes and goals of such work, and they will also learn much about academic and trade publishing practices. 

A "Student Research Review Assistant - 205" will assist faculty in research effort by conducting review of literature and subject material specific to research topics. A student in this position will: 

• Compile multiple lists of references from paper and electronic resources for 2 related book projects
• Organize multiple bibliographies into electronic files that can be easily accessed over the coming years
• Meet on a weekly basis with the professor to discuss ongoing work/progress
• Organize a sizable collection of images/files collected by professor from various archives
• Analyze texts and share feedback with professor about their fit in the projects
• Perform miscellaneous duties such as collecting and scanning research materials not held by UConn libraries