Digital Projects
Plus Ultra Collective digital project. The Plus Ultra Collective (PUC), or “the Collective”, integrates humanistic studies and technology to deepen understanding and preserve historical examples of intercultural interchange in the Americas, Iberia, and the Mediterranean World. By advancing scholarship, fostering public engagement, and safeguarding cultural materials, the Collective aims to illuminate the complexities of cultural exchange and collaboration.
BADDO: Bringing AI to the Discovery of Historiographical Data to Overcome Traditional Barriers digital project at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (España). Our project, inspired by the Visigothic queen Baddo, will generate a context-based LLM with secondary sources produced by historians who research one of the excision of Christianism: Arianism. (Years active: July 2024 to July 2026). This research project peer-judged by the UC3M and its award for 74.980€. Advisory board member and contributor.
Immersive Global Middle Ages Advanced Digital Humanities Institute digital project. The(IGMA) was a 28-month initiative funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, running from January 2022 to December 2023. Focused on advancing interdisciplinary research, pedagogy, and public engagement through immersive technologies, IGMA explored the “Global Middle Ages” (500–1500 CE) to reimagine cultural exchanges and narratives of this era. The project combined virtual workshops, in-person training, and innovative digital modeling tools like SketchUp Pro, Gephi, and VR platforms to create immersive historical reconstructions. National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). (Years active: 2021-2023.) This research project peer-judged by the NEH and its award for $239,560. Co-project director and co-principal investigator.
Deciphering Secrets: Unlocking the Manuscripts of Medieval Spain digital project. Deciphering Secrets is a collaborative citizen science project focused on revealing the inter-religious relations of Jews, Christians, Muslims, and religious converts during the 12th through 16th centuries in late medieval and early modern Spain. This project portal, directed to the public and scholars alike, offers access to: (1) the Deciphering Secrets: Medieval Spanish Manuscript and Transcription Collection, (2) Spanish paleography and historical resources that include e-publication, video instruction, and practicums; (3) peer-reviewed research and publications and other findings; and (4) citizen science Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and Zooniverse efforts. (Years active: 2019 to present.) PI.
Augmented Reflections: Experiencing Spanish, Indigenous, and Anglo Relations in Mexico, New Mexico, and Colorado from the 16th Through 20th Centuries digital project. (Years active: 2018 to present.) Digital Exploration of the Coronado Muster Roll of February 22, 1540 CE. View on youtube.com at https://youtu.be/D7p26w9O6ss. Supported by a $100,000 grant from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, this project used augmented and virtual reality to present cultural narratives using the Unity game engine. This research project peer-judged by the UCCS College of Letters, Arts, and Science its Innovative Research Initiative award for $100,000. PI.
Virtual Plasencia, Spain digital project (Years active: 2013 to 2018.) Virtual Plasencia is collaborative entity that is digitally recreating the virtual world of medieval Plasencia assembles geovisualization experts, historians, geographers, linguists, and computer scientists in the U.S.A., Switzerland, and Spain as well as global “citizen scholars”. It was awarded $12,590 from the Global Middle Ages Project at the University of Texas at Austin. Project director and co-PI.
Global Citizen Scholars: Energizing English and Spanish-Speaking Humanists to Advance KÑowledge and Act (GCS – EESSPHAÑA) (Years active: 2015-2018.) GCS, a 36-month initiative, is a global educational, research, and social engineering endeavor. It will thrust UC3M into the forefront of (1) reclaiming humanity’s deep-seated cultural curiosity; (2) mobilizing technology to energize English & Spanish-speaking students (Global Citizen Scholars) to learn about and contribute to scholarly research on medieval/early modern Jewish, Christian, and Muslim cooperation and conflict; and (3) developing a new cooperative education-research model for the 21st century. It aggressively expands the crowdsourcing initiative known as Deciphering Secrets, which energizes Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) students to assist with transcribing and investigating manuscripts pertaining to inter-religious relations. Connecting Excellence to the Universidad Carlos III Madrid (CONEX) European Commission Marie Curie fellowship and research project. This research project peer-judged by the European Research Council and its awarding of approximately $180,000. PI.