Lena Zlock is researching the integration of digital technology into structures of teaching, learning, and education in higher education. Her particular focus is on the digital humanities and the potential for digital methods to transform humanistic study. She works with Professor Niall Winters and Dr. James Robson.
Lena’s research interests stem from her education as an M.St. student and Ertegun Graduate Scholar in Modern Languages at the University of Oxford, and as a B.A. student in History at Stanford University. As an undergraduate, she started the Voltaire Library Project, a digitally and data-driven study of the 6,763-book collection of French Enlightenment philosopher Voltaire (you can read more about the project here and here). She has been interested in the application of digital technology to humanistic teaching since her days in Princeton Day School, where she developed an interdisciplinary curriculum on Mexico City (visit the course website here).
Her research on Voltaire led her to think more broadly about the place of digital methods in the humanities classroom, and how new technologies will revolutionise the liberal arts and higher education. As a DPhil candidate, Lena will examine the negotiation and implementation of new learning technologies within the University of Oxford at undergraduate and graduate levels.
Lena is involved in a number of digital humanities initiatives in Oxford. She previously served as the inaugural fellow of the Voltaire Lab at Oxford’s Voltaire Foundation. As a master’s student, Lena co-formulated the convergence agenda for Oxford digital humanities with Professor Howard Hotson, and is currently employed by the Humanities Division to assist with the development of an M.St. degree in Digital Scholarship (read more here). Lena set up and helps to run the History of the Book blog for the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages and the Oxford Book History Twitter account.
Lena welcomes inquiries from undergraduate and postgraduate students from Oxford and beyond seeking to get involved with the digital humanities in any capacity. The History of the Book blog also welcomes inquiries from prospective contributors.
