Wayne State University partners with Michigan Tech to launch NEH-Funded Deep Mapping Institute

Wayne State University is collaborating with Michigan Tech University on a pioneering project that will bring together scholars, students and professionals from around the world to explore the emerging field of deep mapping. The joint initiative, called the NEH Community Deep Mapping Institute, will be led by researchers from both universities and is supported by a $250,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).

Krysta Ryzewski, professor and chair of anthropology at Wayne State, is one of the co-directors of the Institute, which will offer fellowships to early-career and senior scholars and public history professionals. "We're excited about the opportunity to share the benefits of our state-level collaboration with more colleagues as we create new digital resources and amplify the impacts of deep mapping internationally," said Ryzewski.

The institute, set to run for one year starting in January 2025, will operate virtually with an immersive, two-week on-site component held at Michigan Tech's campus in the Upper Peninsula in July 2025. The project highlights the success of a collaborative partnership between Wayne State and Michigan Tech that began in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, with faculty and students working together on the Hamtramck Spatial Archaeology Project.

The deep mapping technology, developed in part through Wayne State's contributions to the Hamtramck Explorer, allows community members to explore and add their own local historical knowledge to digital maps, enhancing public engagement with history and heritage. "This deep map has since grown into an invaluable research, preservation and storytelling resource that makes historical information accessible to the public and encourages community dialogues around the themes of preservation, immigration and local history," said Ryzewski.

Wayne State's involvement in the Deep Mapping Institute demonstrates the university's leadership in the digital humanities and its commitment to fostering interdisciplinary research that connects technology with cultural heritage. The collaboration builds on the earlier success of deep mapping tools like the Keweenaw Time Traveler, which inspired the development of the Hamtramck Explorer. Both projects have helped communities explore their history through innovative spatial technologies.

The NEH Community Deep Mapping Institute is one of four projects in the nation awarded NEH funding this cycle, part of a broader initiative to deepen scholars' understanding of digital humanities tools and methodologies. "This institute will teach people around the world how to integrate spatial technologies together with historical information about their local places to help communities learn more about their geography, history and cultural heritage," said Don Lafreniere, a professor at Michigan Tech and lead director of the Institute.

Starting in 2025, faculty and students from Wayne State and Michigan Tech will work alongside 40 social science, humanities and heritage professionals from around the globe, who will develop their own deep mapping projects. The immersive program is expected to enhance collaboration, share resources, and increase public access to historical data, further positioning Wayne State as a digital and spatial humanities leader.

Applications for the fellowship, which includes a stipend for travel to Michigan Tech's campus in Houghton, are due Nov. 22, 2024. Fellows will learn essential skills for developing public-facing deep maps, including GIS, digital storytelling and community engagement strategies.

"We're looking forward to welcoming a diverse group of fellows and expanding the reach of this collaboration," said Ryzewski. "This is an incredible opportunity to merge technology with the humanities and help communities discover and preserve their local history in innovative ways."

For more information about the NEH Community Deep Mapping Institute and to apply for a fellowship, visit the Deep Mapping Institute.

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