Rob Blades
Digital Humanities Graduate Student
- MA History, Class of 2015
When I applied to the Public History program, I knew I wanted my final project to be memorable. My project explored the industrial decline of Pembroke, Ontario, a logging town in the Ottawa Valley. I created an interactive map using Leaflet, a Javascript based mapping tool. The website also includes interactive timelines that use soundscapes to set the historical scene. I gained valuable web design experience that helped me land my first job! Most importantly, the digital skills I learned allowed me to present a local history from a small community to people around the world. Through the DH program I was able to create an interactive website that had a much larger impact than a traditional thesis.
The DH program provided me a lot of vital digital and technological experience. Daily, I use many of the tools and skills I learned through the program in the workplace including accessible and responsive web development and data analysis tools like R. Without a doubt the DH program has a continued impact on my life as I constantly imagine potential digital projects I now have the skillset to achieve.