Project Lead: Prof. Jordan Reznick, Assistant Professor of American Studies
Vivero Fellow (2026-2027): Zach Rusli
AMS 130 Introduction to American Studies investigates the stories, struggles, and power relations that shape American life—focusing on national myths and everyday practices alongside histories of race, gender, class, disability, colonization, identity, resistance, and the environment.
For their final project, Sites of American Culture, students research a site of American culture, analyzing how the site produces, reinforces, and/or contests meanings of American culture, identity, and history. In the past, students have used StoryMaps for their projects, and I would like to continue using the StoryMap format, while also populating the student projects onto a map website (possibly another StoryMap) that allows users to navigate to different projects through a central map. The format should also allow future students to populate their projects onto the same map, so that each semester the map will accumulate new projects and students can view past projects. We can also add projects from prior semesters onto the map. I am open to alternative formats and ideas that I have not considered.
