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liz polcha

@lpolcha.bsky.social

300 followers 560 following 150 posts

she/they | literary studies professor writing a book on gender & natural history | editor and co-founder @insurrecthistory.bsky.social | I mainly post about labor and cats

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liz polcha @lpolcha.bsky.social · Aug 6

📣please donate and/or share this campaign to defend a criminalized survivor, Sandra Delvalle, a young Puerto Rican mother who was convicted of third-degree murder after fatally defending herself against her long-time abuser 📣

gogetfunding.com/legal-suppor...

Legal Support Fund for Sandra Delvalle

Sandra Delvalle is a young PA mother who was faced with the choice between defending herself from her abusive partner or risking her life at his hands. She chose to defend herself. Now she’s facing de...

gogetfunding.com

Reposted by liz polcha

Cate Denial @cjdenial.bsky.social · 7d

@skpawlicki.bsky.social was, until the Trump administration canceled the program, working as a Mellon fellow for the National Parks Service. She created the most incredible women's history programming, and now, she's recreated it entirely separately: storymaps.arcgis.com/collections/...

Women's History Illuminated

Women's History and the National Historic Landmarks Program

storymaps.arcgis.com

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Jessica Kant @jessdkant.bsky.social · 6d

Machine learning is a neat tool, but clearly companies are desperate to give “AI” credit for what human scholars accomplish in part because companies have bet the farm on the idea that human ingenuity is expendable. This historian is extraordinary and deserves the real credit.

Waitman Wade Beorn, PhD, FRHistS @waitmanwbeorn.com · 6d

Oh, man. After reading the article, what it actually says is that an historian did a lot of archival work and spatial research to determine the site of a killing and then the family of the likely perpetrator stepped forward with photographs to confirm identity.

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

Historian uses AI to help identify Nazi in notorious Holocaust murder image

Jürgen Matthäus has for years been investigating the killer – and is confident he has finally solved the mystery

www.theguardian.com

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liz polcha @lpolcha.bsky.social · 6d

I’m trying to understand why universities think students would be interested in paying $$$$ and going into debt for chatgpt edu, a thing they can use for free

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Ryan Boyd @ryanboyd.bsky.social · 6d

The reason a hillbilly scholarship kid like me got a great public education at William & Mary was because they invested in teachers, not bullshit computer magic. I guess that has changed.

Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 7d

“The pilot will explore how AI can enhance teaching, research and university operations, while also gathering feedback to guide the responsible and effective use of AI across campus.”

William & Mary launches ChatGPT Edu pilot

By integrating artificial intelligence tools, the university is positioning itself at the forefront of higher education innovation.

news.wm.edu

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Prisonculture @prisonculture.bsky.social · 6d

"Our power isn’t in making one of the choices that are presented to us. Our power is in shaping the choices available to us." www.nytimes.com/2025/10/01/o...

Opinion | Mourn, or Else

www.nytimes.com

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liz polcha @lpolcha.bsky.social · 8d

I guess the difference now is that the costumed luddites are destroying their own phones

liz polcha @lpolcha.bsky.social · 8d

This is amazing!! The costumes alone

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liz polcha @lpolcha.bsky.social · 8d

Dressing as gnomes and smashing iPhones: the new digital humanities pedagogy

I went to an anti-tech rally, where Gen Z dressed as gnomes and smashed iPhones. Here's what I learned.

A growing constellation of groups, mostly led by young people, are advocating for reduced reliance on technology. I went to a rally to learn more.

www.businessinsider.com

Reposted by liz polcha

Jim McGrath @jimmcgrath.bsky.social · 14d

Lots of attention will likely be paid to the need to explain core textual elements like epigraphs, quotes, and indexes to undergrads. A need definitely exacerbated by recent literacy data trends but also a long overdue point of emphasis in college instruction. www.insidehighered.com/news/student...

2 Professors Teach About AI Using Print Book

Faculty members help students practice close reading and analysis with a physical book, building life skills and social connection.

www.insidehighered.com

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Reposted by liz polcha

becca @beccaquon.bsky.social · 28d

some of my favorite former NEH employees have channeled their collective grant-making wisdom into an opportunity for funders. thrilled to see it! hire them. 💫

Sidra Collaborative @sidracollaborative.bsky.social · 28d

We are excited to introduce Sidra Collaborative!

We partner with arts, culture, and humanities organizations and funders to build sustainable programs and reimagine a funding landscape that centers transparency, equity, and community.

Learn more: www.sidracollaborative.com

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Reposted by liz polcha

Ben Lee @bcgl.bsky.social · 29d

Excited to be co-editing a special issue of @dhquarterly.bsky.social on Artificial Intelligence for Digital Humanities: Research problems and critical approaches
dhq.digitalhumanities.org/news/news.html

We're inviting abstracts now - please feel free to reach out with any questions!

DHQ: Digital Humanities Quarterly: News

dhq.digitalhumanities.org

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John Garcia @jgarc.bsky.social · Sep 8

Please spread the word—The Scholars’ Workshop in Early African American Print at AAS Jan. 12-15, 2026. A writing workshop and intro to archives for junior scholars working on the dissertation or first book. Fully funded. Apply by Oct. 15 2025. PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD

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liz polcha @lpolcha.bsky.social · Sep 3

I'm curious if early Americanists have watched the AI white nationalist propaganda rendition of Phillis Wheatley put out by the "Founders Museum," or is it simply a cursed digital object that we are all avoiding? youtu.be/te-A0hZ_BNI?...

Phillis Wheatley

YouTube video by The White House

youtu.be

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NEH Union - AFGE L3403 @nehafge3403.bsky.social · Sep 3

Five months ago today, National Endowment for the Humanities staff arrived at work and discovered panicked emails & calls from grantees whose obligated funds were "cancelled" in the dead of night by #DOGE.

Less than 24 hrs later, the majority of us were put on leave, and a week later, fired. #NEH.

NEH Union - AFGE L3403 @nehafge3403.bsky.social · Apr 3

"The National Endowment for the Humanities, which supports #museums, scholarship and historical sites, could see grants curtailed and staffing slashed by up to 80 percent." #NEH www.nytimes.com/2025/04/01/a...

DOGE Demands Deep Cuts at Humanities Endowment

The National Endowment for the Humanities, which supports museums, scholarship and historical sites, could see grants curtailed and staffing slashed by up to 80 percent.

www.nytimes.com

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Sarah Bull @sarahebull.bsky.social · Sep 3

As historians of technology are pointing out, this is how automation has worked out in the past, too.

The solution is unionization/collective action. If people work together (if!), editing can become a very, very expensive service.

angela yang @angelayang.bsky.social · Sep 2

The AI boom has created a new type of work: fixing botched AI. Designers are being hired to remake wonky AI art. Writers are asked to make ChatGPT’s writing sound more human. Even software developers are tasked with fixing buggy vibe coding.
www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-ne...

Humans are being hired to make AI slop look less sloppy

In the age of automation, human workers are being brought in to fix what artificial intelligence gets wrong.

www.nbcnews.com

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Reposted by liz polcha

Philadelphia Inquirer @inquirer.com · Sep 3

For the past three years, the city has been giving cash to some struggling renters, no strings attached.

The first-in-the-nation experiment has been even more successful than researchers studying its impact expected.

Philly’s first-in-the-nation experiment giving cash to struggling renters is working, researchers say

Families that got cash rental assistance were less likely to be evicted, experience homelessness, and report having serious problems with their homes, according to a study of the PHLHousing+ program.

www.inquirer.com

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Jamal Greene @jamalgreene.bsky.social · Aug 29

A reminder that PhD students are also teachers. It'll be much harder to run undergraduate programs too with this change.

Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · Aug 29

Trump admin planning to change student visas from lasting for duration of academic program to fixed 4-yr term, and then much harder to renew
Could destroy US ability to attract global talent, particularly those seeking advanced degrees in STEM. The median time to complete a PhD is 5.7 yrs per NSF.

Trump Deals A New Immigration Blow To International Students

Trump officials have proposed a new rule limiting international students to fixed periods of entry, making a U.S. education more precarious.

www.forbes.com

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liz polcha @lpolcha.bsky.social · Sep 2

My cynical prediction is that Philly 250th anniversary of 17** next year is going to be AI white supremacy founders parade, the M*ms for Lib**** event at the museum of the American Revolution was a little preview

Reposted by liz polcha

Ben Davis @benadavis.bsky.social · Aug 29

I watched through all the White House's "Founders Museum" A.I.-animated paintings teaching U.S. Revolutionary history, installed in D.C in partnership right-wing YouTube content farm #PragerU. news.artnet.com/art-world/wh...

The White House Proposes Weird A.I. Paintings as the Future of Patriotic Education | Artnet News

The Founders Museum is a project of PragerU, now installed in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Here's what it looks like.

news.artnet.com

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liz polcha @lpolcha.bsky.social · Aug 24

The Philly SEPTA cuts are dire. As someone who works at a university, I’m wondering if AAUP chapters & unions will need to organize rideshare carpools just so faculty & staff can get to work this fall (among other organizing ofc)

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Workshops4Gaza @workshops4gaza.bsky.social · Aug 22

This is urgent, rent is due in a week. A Black trans academic has been put thru a cruel process for months now in response to her pro-Pal activity, and yesterday she was notified she will not receive pay for the next two months. She needs our support to cover her immediate needs of meds and housing.

Workshops4Gaza @workshops4gaza.bsky.social · Aug 22

friends - we've noticed the way that punishment for pro-Pal activity bears down esp hard on Black women, right?

sharing a fundraiser for a Black trans academic who's been put thru a cruel process for months now

this is urgent. rent is due in a week. contribute here:

chuffed.org/project/1455...

Black Trans Academic Targeted and Fined for Pro-Palestine Speech

Black trans academic suspended and fined for pro-Palestine/anti-z1onist speech.

chuffed.org

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liz polcha @lpolcha.bsky.social · Aug 18

My Intro to DH class this fall at Drexel is 🤓jam packed🤓 with class trips to archives. We will be doing more hands-on exercises with non-digital media, including an assignment where the students check out (from me) a discman or walkman, and explore the CD or tape collection at the Free Library

introduction to digital humanities class poster for fall 2025 Drexel University, with images of a floppy disc, a cd, a VHS tape, and a gameboy

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liz polcha @lpolcha.bsky.social · Aug 14

this website feels like a social media dead zone with lots of bots and seeing the same 3 posters over and over, it is like the ghost of academic twitter. I'm wondering if social media will be totally obliterated by AI in a few years, it already feels like an endless stream of bots talking to bots

liz polcha @lpolcha.bsky.social · Aug 14

helpful thread here of job resources

Hannah Alpert-Abrams @halperta.bsky.social · Aug 14

Anyways! It's August of 2025 so maybe a good time for a job search resource thread!

The Academic Job Market Support Network has sample cover letters, CVs, research statements, and other job materials. You can use them OR add your own.

hcommons.org/groups/acade...

hcommons.org

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alina pleskova @alinapleskova.bsky.social · Aug 14

my fellow PA-ians, pleaaaase hit up your friends/fam/exes/whomever who live in areas where their senators especially need to be pressured about supporting SEPTA funding— that’s N East Philly, Bucks County, & Montgomery County

🚂 ⬇️

jay Dragon has firmware updates @jdragsky.bsky.social · Aug 13

gutting septa is gonna singlehandedly devestate philadelphia and i cannot believe those bastards in harrisburg think its a good idea

please write in to tell them how awful this is:
savesepta.com

Save SEPTA! | Home

SEPTA is facing a historic funding crisis that will result in the end of the system as we know it!

savesepta.com

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