With the Duke English Department, I am actively soliciting PhD applications for students who specialize in the digital humanities, cultural analytics, and cultural AI. My ideal PhD student is someone trained primarily in a humanities discipline, such as English or literature or cultural studies, but with extensive additional training in computer science, statistics, or any quantitative-based field, such as economics or political science.
An interest and facility with working with data and code is a requirement for working with me as a primary advisor, as well as participating in my Lab. Further, I am interested in working with students who are interested in tackling socially consequential questions and problems, especially related to democracy, social inequality, polarization, misinformation, and the social impact of technology and platforms.
In short, I am looking to train students who believe their research can help address and solve significant social problems. Students interested in applying to the PhD program should send me a letter of interest via email to richard.so@duke.edu - ideally, with a sample of work.
Students already based at Duke should also email me with a letter of interest, as well as consider taking a graduate course with me. Last, I welcome interest from graduate students at other institutions who are interested in visiting Duke to work with me and my Lab - again, just email me a letter of interest.
I'm very interested in working with Duke undergraduate students via my Lab. There are usually opportunities to serve as research assistants and collaborators, when appropriate and where skills are provided, throughout the school year and summer.
If you are interested in cultural analytics, digital humanities, or cultural AI research, please email me about your interest and consider taking one of the digital humanities-themed classes I teach during the academic calendar.
Many of my previous undergraduate students have used such opportunities as experience to get jobs in the tech industry and apply to graduate school. You'll learn a lot and develop concrete skills both in the humanities and sciences through this training.
Email me at richard.so@duke.edu!