Sponsored by the Jackman Humanities Institute, our monthly lightning lunches focus on a specific topic or contemporary issue with experts from different disciplines to explore threads of commonality and nuance. It is always our hope that these lightning lunches will lead to the formation of new networks, research projects, and shared knowledge. To that end, this lightning lunch focuses on the topic of Games and Play. Our speakers present for 7 minutes followed by lunch and informal discussion on the role of games and play within and beyond the university. We are extremely fortunate to have three scholars who work closely with game communities and industry partners in their research and teaching.

This lightning lunch, “Secure States & States of Insecurity,” explores the topics of surveillance studies, digital journalism, critical digital media studies, and the intersection of digital humanities with issues of equity and justice. After a catered lunch, speakers will present for 5-7 minutes, followed by an informal discussion.

This virtual lightning lunch, “How to Build (and Maintain) a DH Project,” explores the topics of ethics and sustainability in the staffing, training, and management of DH projects. Speakers will present for approximately 10 minutes, followed by a general discussion. We invite all those with experience in DH project management (and those simply interested in it) to participate.

Our second meeting of this academic year has Prof. Bhavani Raman (Associate Professor, Department of Historical and Cultural Studies at UTSC), Marcel Fortin (Head, Map and Data Library), and Tia Sager (PhD Candidate, Department of Art History) speaking on digital humanities and the spatial turn, including geographic information systems (GIS) and 3D modelling.