Missouri S&T alumna and faculty member Dr. Petra DeWitt has established a $100,000 endowment to support the S&T Collaboratory, a new digital humanities lab in the College of Arts, Sciences, and Business.

The DeWitt Collaboratory Undergraduate Student Assistantship will fund a student position focused on communication projects advancing humanities-based research. The position will be based in the Collaboratory, a research and communication hub dedicated to strengthening the connection between humanities-based research and STEM disciplines, leveraging digital technology to advance scholarship and innovation in the humanities, and working across disciplines to address the global challenges facing 21^st century leaders.

“Dr. DeWitt’s very generous gift means that generations of S&T undergraduate students will have opportunities to engage in significant original research in the humanities,” says Dr. Kate Drowne, interim vice provost and dean of the College of Arts, Sciences, and Business. “Thanks to her vision and support, these students will acquire skills and knowledge that will help them succeed in graduate school or in whatever career they choose to pursue.”

DeWitt earned a bachelor of arts degree in history from Missouri S&T in 1996. She also holds a master of arts degree in history from Truman State University and a Ph.D. in history from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She joined the S&T faculty in 2003 and serves as assistant professor in the department of history and political science. She is the author of Degrees of Allegiance: Harassment and Loyalty in Missouri’s Germany-American Community during World War I, which won the 2012 Missouri Book Award. A specialist in migration and ethnic history, DeWitt teaches courses in American history, modern Germany and European migrations.

“The Collaboratory will encourage humanities students to exchange ideas, solve problems and create innovative projects,” says Dr. DeWitt. “I can envision students crafting presentations for class or designing posters for the Undergraduate Research Conference. It will be an ideal experiential learning space where students combine theory with hands-on activities.”

The Collaboratory will feature educational displays, a digital production studio for creating podcasts and other audio-visual presentations, and a collaborative workspace for students and faculty. The 1,150-square-foot lab, which will be located in the Humanities and Social Sciences Building, is under construction, with anticipated completion by the end of April.

For more information, visit casb.mst.edu/giving/the-collaboratory or contact Kristen Gallagher, executive director of development for the College of Arts, Sciences, and Business, at 573-341-6050 or gallagherk@mst.edu.