Wesleyan University, founded in 1831, is a diverse, energetic liberal arts community where critical thinking and practical idealism go hand in hand.

Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts university (founded in 1831) in Connecticut and home to the Center for the Study of Guns and Society, the first academic center in the United States dedicated to interdisciplinary humanities study and teaching on the social and cultural history of firearms. Established in April 2022, the center is a hub for pioneering interdisciplinary research on a wide variety of topics in firearms history, including the technologies, manufacture, possession, and use of firearms; the social and cultural underpinnings of gun ownership; and the tolerance of high levels of gun-related violence in the U.S. relative to other countries. The center has an internal and external faculty advisory board, promotes collaborations with other universities and museums, hosts regular conferences and workshops, and is engaged in several research projects ranging from empirical studies of ballistics lethality to explorations of the history of guns in movies. Information on the Center for the Study of Guns and Society can be found at https://gunsandsocietycenter.com/.

Working under the direction of History Prof. Jennifer Tucker, Founding Director of the Center for the Study of Guns & Society, and a team of project advisors from history departments around the U.S., the Digital Humanities Postdoctoral Researcher will conduct archival research on 18th and 19th century firearms laws and sources on historical firearms use and regulations across multiple regions, contribute to a field guide and database of empirical findings, and participate in the writing and sharing of research papers in regular workshops and conferences.

Responsibilities include:

Review and ensure integrity of research data;
Assess the value and strengths of data collected;
Advise project researchers about data organization and visualization;
Create and edit spreadsheets with an eye towards later goals such as data visualization;
Theorize whether additional related data-driven research questions are viable for the project and achievable with the data collected;
Preparation of results for manuscripts and publication;
Assisting the PI in the organization of research project workshops;
Liaise with Quantitative Analysis Center (QAC) on data analysis strategies;
Supervise QAC undergraduates assigned to work on the research project
Assisting with the assembly of a database of empirical findings;
Other duties as assigned.

This is an on-campus position located in Middletown, CT. Funding is available for up to nine months beginning September 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2026. Start date is negotiable. The Postdoctoral Researcher will have the option of teaching one undergraduate class, if they are interested, and have an opportunity to share their research at the Center’s regular workshops and conferences.

Minimum Qualifications

PhD in Digital Humanities, or PhD Digital Humanities Certificate with PhD in U.S. history or a related field such as legal history, social and cultural history, or history of technology.
Strong interest in the subject domain.
Strong writing and analytic skills.
Experience working in legal and other historical archives.
Demonstrated experience with historical data collection and analysis.
Demonstrated ability in collaboration and teamwork.
Demonstrated commitment to work within a diverse environment and interact openly with individuals of different backgrounds
Evidence of publication in peer-reviewed journals, whether published or manuscripts under review.
Strong desire and ability to collaborate and present ongoing research.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with data cleaning and preprocessing for analysis (including data management).
Ability to perform simple descriptive statistics, hypothesis testing, and data visualization.
Modeling and exploratory data analysis (EDA) to identify patterns, trends, and insights within datasets.

Additional Applicant Instructions:

Position is opened until filled. Applicants must submit a cover letter and resume/CV.

Salary Range: $63,100.00 - $74,400.00

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Digital Humanities Postdoctoral Researcher