This summer marked the second year of the Alexander Grass Scholars Undergraduate Research Program. Building on its inaugural success, the program continued to offer students opportunities for hands-on collaboration with faculty, graduate mentors, and community project leaders—helping them refine their research skills, strengthen community connections, and explore the impact of the public humanities in action.
The Language of Legacy: Exploring the Art of Black Folk Language
Partnering Organizations:
Project Leader:
- Dr. Joni Perkins
About the project
Scholars explored the history and cultural significance of Black Folk Language, examining how it has shaped literature, identity, and community life. Through research and oral histories, they highlighted the creativity and resilience of this linguistic tradition, culminating in an interactive exhibit celebrating it as a living expression of cultural voice and storytelling.
Gulf Scholars Pensacola Environmental History Project
Partnering Organizations:
- UF Gulf Scholars, Bob Graham Center for Public Service (GSP)
- Samuel Proctor Oral History Program (SPOHP)
Project Leaders:
- Becca Burton, Gulf Scholars Program Coordinator and Lecturer
- Anna Hamilton, Samuel Proctor Oral History Program Assistant Director
About the project
This project allowed scholars to build on the Pensacola Environmental History Project by engaging with residents, activists, and officials whose lives were shaped by hazardous waste contamination. Through this work, they found new and public-facing ways to bring the collection housed in UF’s Digital Collections to life and highlight the community’s ongoing environmental story.
From Streets to StoryMaps: A Digital Walking Tour of Gainesville’s Historic Duckpond Neighborhood
Partnering Organization:
Project Leader:
- Clarissa Carr, Research Assistant Professor
About the project
Exploring Gainesville’s historic Duckpond neighborhood, scholars combined archival sleuthing with 360-degree imagery, interviews, and oral histories to capture the district’s evolving character. Their research culminated in a digital StoryMap that reimagines the area’s walking tour and spotlights landmarks such as the Thomas Center — an anchor of Gainesville’s preservation movement.
Legacy on Stage: Uncovering the Stories Behind the Hippodrome’s Theatre Curtain
Partnering Organization:
Project leader:
- Tony Jepson
About the project
In this project, scholars explored the Hippodrome Theatre’s 50-year legacy of performance, education, and cinema to uncover the stories behind its artists and productions. Through archival research on posters, articles, and career histories, they examined how actors, directors, and designers have shaped Gainesville’s theatre community, culminating in a video that told the story of the Hippodrome’s creative legacy.