Digital Humanities

Department of World Languages and Literatures

Digital Humanities Focus Summary

2 Umbrella Outlets

• CALICO: the Computer-Assisted Language Instruction Consortium is an international organization dedicated to research and development in the use of computer technology in language learning: computer-assisted language learning (CALL). The CALICO Journal, a thrice-yearly publication, is devoted to the dissemination of research on the use of technology in language learning.
• Translation Services Center. The Translation Services Center provides translation services to the TXST, San Marcos, and broader community. We offer paid and pro-bono services on a case-by-case basis. In addition to being a resource for our communities, it offers our students with real-world practical translation experience. Many of the projects have a digital component. 

Faculty with an Active Digital Humanities Agenda

Name: Yasmine Beale-Rivaya, PhD

1. Project: Minority and Minoritized Languages and Cultures     
   The Minority & Minoritized Languages and Communities look at language use, contact, and loss among minority communities. We bring together scholars working on contemporary linguistic issues of minority languages and scholars working from a historical perspective to make lesser-known languages more accessible to non-specialists. The materials here address broad questions related to the language and the community/ies in which it is used such as including political processes, economic processes, and geographic and ethnoreligious borders, the basic features of the language, and propose questions for further study at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and provide an introductory bibliography. We make each module freely available to any scholar in the Humanities. They can be used together as a single course or as stand-alone components to be used across disciplines such as linguistics, anthropology, political science, history, religion, and philosophy to complement already existing courses.
2. Project: The Confluence of Religious Cultures in Medieval Historiography  * International Funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. With David Navarro.     
   The General e Grand estoria (GGE), sponsored by King Alfonso X of Castile (r. 1252-1248), stands out as the largest universal history written in Medieval Europe, a truly ecumenical work in the development of both biblical exegesis, and secular historiography. Our work positions the study of the GGE within the multicultural context of its production and re-evaluates the role of Judaism and Islam, as well as the Graeco-roman classical traditions, in early vernacular Castilian and European historical writing and fiction. We employ Digital Humanities tools to analyze the confluence of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim biblical interpretation in this text from Medieval Iberia. This enables us to create an edition and translation that reflects a more comprehensive understanding of its meaning as intended by its authors.   

Name: Beth Bernstein PhD

Project Title: Digital Immersion Resources for Spanish Language Learning     
Description: I have developed and managed a collection of digital tools and an online Canvas module designed to help students immerse themselves in Spanish outside of class. This includes a curated database of "Helpful Websites and Digital tools" that guides students through using podcasts, apps, TV programs, films, YouTube channels, and digital media for language practice. I also facilitate digital discussion threads on Canvas where students analyze these resources and collaborate in an online learning environment to share their experiences with digital resources and build their cultural and linguistic skills.

Name: Bouchra El Harrak Lichioui PhD

Title: Translation Quality and Functionality in the Age of AI: A Functionalist Evaluation of Machine-Generated Spanish Texts     
With Jorge de la Hoz Leal, Ph.D. Student, University of Arizona     
Description: The increasing reliance on machine translation (MT) technologies by public institutions has intensified scholarly interest in redefining translation quality assessment (TQA) for AI-mediated communicative environments, particularly with regard to how automated translations function in real-world public settings (Doherty, 2017). While extensive research has examined MT output across genres and language pairs, fewer studies have addressed how existing TQA frameworks account for functional adequacy in high-stakes public communication, such as emergency management, where translation quality is closely tied to public trust and access to services (Bromhead, 2023). This study addresses that gap by evaluating machine-generated Spanish translations published on U.S. state emergency management websites, with a focus on communicative effectiveness rather than surface-level accuracy alone.

Name: Michael Conner, PhD 

Project Area: Accessible Course Design, Web Platforms, and AI Supported Pedagogy      
My Digital Humanities work centers on improving accessibility, usability, and digital fluency across the Department of World Languages and Literatures. As departmental Webmaster (2010–present), I manage and develop our web presence and digital signage ecosystem, ensuring that our online platforms remain functional, accessible, and user centered. I also contribute to faculty development through targeted workshops that translate complex technological requirements into practical, sustainable teaching practices.      
In 2025, I organized the Canvas ADA Title II How To Workshop (August 22, 2025) and the PowerPoint ADA Compliance Workshop for the German Section (November 11, 2025), both focused on strengthening accessibility practices across instructional materials. I also co presented the Zoom Microskills Session: Using AI for ADA Compliance (October 24, 2025), demonstrating how to integrate generative AI responsibly and effectively into accessibility workflows.       
These initiatives complement my long term work supporting digital infrastructure, including editorial oversight of OnSign digital displays and the development of web resources that help faculty engage with digital tools. My contributions reflect a broader commitment to fostering inclusive, transparent, and technologically confident teaching practices within the humanities.

Name: Sergio M. Martínez, PhD

Project: The Global Taco: Mexican Food and Gastronomy in the Americas and Beyond     
My current project, The Global Taco: Mexican Food and Gastronomy in the Americas and Beyond, is a project that could be integrated into the digital humanities curriculum. The book aims to compile studies examining the historical global presence of Mexican food and gastronomy focusing on the contemporary period. The objective is to explore various facets of Mexican gastronomy on the international stage. We aim to explore and analyze the influence and acceptance of Mexican dishes, the fusion with local culinary traditions, the adaptation to regional palates, and the challenges faced by entrepreneurs in the different regions.     
The digital part of the project consists of three elements:

1. Ask the authors to record videos presenting condensed versions of their chapters, which can be used in advanced cultural studies courses.
2. Create short videos based on selected studies and recipes for Spanish language classes and have them accessible in social media platforms.
3. Encourage students with varying levels of Spanish proficiency to produce their own videos:
   1. For advanced cultural studies courses
   2. For beginning and intermediate Spanish language courses

Name: David Navarro PhD 

The Confluence of Religious Cultures in Medieval Historiography  * International Funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. With Yasmine Beale-Rivaya     
The General e Grand estoria (GGE), sponsored by King Alfonso X of Castile (r. 1252-1248), stands out as the largest universal history written in Medieval Europe, a truly ecumenical work in the development of both biblical exegesis, and secular historiography. Our work positions the study of the GGE within the multicultural context of its production and re-evaluates the role of Judaism and Islam, as well as the Graeco-roman classical traditions, in early vernacular Castilian and European historical writing and fiction. We employ Digital Humanities tools to analyze the confluence of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim biblical interpretation in this text from Medieval Iberia. This enables us to create an edition and translation that reflects a more comprehensive understanding of its meaning as intended by its authors.    

Name: Ewa Siwak PhD 

Title: Imperial Knowledge Contra National Scholarship: Galicia and “The Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in Word and Image”     
This project is a dedicated web portal focused on “Galicia” (1898), a comprehensive survey of the Crownland published as part of Crown Prince Rudolf von Habsburg’s encyclopedia. It provides access to all the Volume’s essays in contemporary transcription, in searchable form. The source texts are augmented by my English translations of Rudolf’s introduction to the series as well as five articles most relevant to Polish-Ukrainian relations and to Ukrainian nation building in Galicia. A digitized selection of pertinent correspondence collected from Austrian, Ukrainian, and Polish archives reconstructs how editors and contributors negotiated the volume’s contents. My critical study placing “Galicia” in the context of competing imperial and irredentist agendas completes the portal.    

Name: Moira di Mauro Jackson, PhD 

1. Project 1: Short Videos, Smart Support: AI-Guided OER Lessons for Fully Online Courses.     
   I develop and research AI-supported, OER-based micro-lessons for fully online language courses (short videos + structured “Before/During/After/Wrap-up” activities) to improve student engagement, practice, and learning outcomes. I’m presenting this work at the 2026 TXST AI in Teaching & Learning Symposium. 
2. Project 2: What’s Your Postdigital Positionality? AI, Public Pedagogy, and Global Perspectives     
   I am organizing and hosting a public-facing DH-style event that combines a short documentary (filmed in Italy and Central Texas) with an interactive screening, small-group reflection, and transatlantic dialogue with colleagues joining from Padova, Italy. April 14, 12–1:30 p.m., LBJ Ballroom. 
3. Project 3: French Day at Texas State (Central Texas AATF + WLL) — Festivals de cultures (Workshop Presenter)     
   I am helping host a French Day that includes workshops on AI integration, new learning strategies, and oral communication activities for teachers and students across levels, as part of our Festivals de cultures collaboration. In addition to helping host, I am also presenting an AI-focused session: “Duel de prompts: Prof vs AI — who wins in French?” This interactive workshop challenges generative AI through short A2–B1 communication tasks produced in teams in both “human” and “AI-assisted” versions. We compare results using a simple rubric (level, authenticity, classroom reusability) to identify what AI does well, what instructors do better, and how to integrate AI ethically and effectively right away. Participants leave with ready-to-use prompts and adaptable classroom activities. April 18, 9:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m..