Arts Management/Academic Programming Event Coordinator Fellowship
Title: Arts Management/Academic Programing Event Coordinator Graduate Fellow
Division/Department: Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library
Reports to: Patti Gibbons, Head of Collection Management, Special Collections
General Summary: Project management coordinator to plan, organize, and schedule multi-disciplinary academic programming for the 2025-2026 Year of Games project.
Chicago has long been a center for gaming and UChicago faculty, programs, and students routinely push the boundaries in the fields of gaming. The city itself is home to gaming industry titans that have dominated the pinball, arcade, and home video game industries. Regionally, in Wisconsin, Chicago-born Gary Gygax co-invented Dungeons & Dragons and spawned a global fantasy role-playing movement. On campus, UChicago faculty are pioneers researching game design theory and, in the past decade, have positioned the University as a leader in game pedagogy and the critical study of gaming on culture, and UChicago alumni created Cards Against Humanity and the wildly successful Halo video game series.
As a form of entertainment and cultural interaction, gaming is nearly a ubiquitous part of contemporary life. The gaming industry is an economic powerhouse and today, its global footprint surpasses movies and media in terms of gross revenue and engagement. Gaming, while fun and entertaining, is also a rapidly growing field of academic study and on the forefront of an expanding area of career development for students. UChicago is in a prime position to grow its game research capacity and ability to prepare students to become leaders in gaming fields.
In 2025-2026, the library is leading the Year of Games campus-wide initiative to celebrate the joys of gaming, highlight gaming as a university strength, explore the role of games in research and learning, and help grow gaming resources on campus. The Year of Games will offer an ambitious schedule of symposia, panels, outreach events, study breaks, exhibitions, and displays with partners from academic units across campus. Programming will provide both playful outlets for gaming as well as opportunities to further game research and promote careers in the gaming industry.
UChicago’s Year of Games aims to:
1) Advance our understanding of games both as cultural objects and as part of research and learning
2) Offer a curated calendar of outreach events appealing to multiple audiences
3) Create a platform to stimulate interdisciplinary discussion and foster partnerships across divisions and units
4) Increase the impact of outreach event programing through cross-campus collaboration
5) Invite local residents and members of the Chicago community to come to campus and participate in events
6) Strengthen UChicago’s appeal as a destination for prospective students by creating a counterpoint to the image of ‘where fun goes to die’
Specific activities will vary according to fellow’s skills and interests, but may include:
- Create a centralized outreach event calendar noting participation details and logistics
- Create websites for internal planning and external promotion
- Begin organizing three academic symposia/conferences, drafting calls for papers, and identifying key logistics
- Maintain list of partners with contact information
- Establish mode of regular communications and share updates with stakeholders
- Provide logistical support (identifying event spaces, booking spaces, locating equipment)
- Provide research support (identifying event participants and vendors)
- Create a centralized budget tracking system to identify known and speculative expenses for all projects/events
Qualifications:
- Enrolled in a UChicago graduate program and in good academic standing during the period of the fellowship
- Strong written and oral communication skills
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office, calendaring, and project management tools
- General interest or understanding of gaming is a benefit but not a strict requirement
Hours and Schedule: Approximately 15 hours per week, 20 hours per week in Summer quarter. Reappointment for additional quarters is possible for the successful fellow depending on project needs.
Stipend: $3,300 per academic quarter (Autumn, Winter, Spring); $4,000 for Summer quarter.
Start Date: Summer 2024 or Autumn 2024
To Apply: Students currently enrolled in a UChicago graduate program and in good academic standing during the period of the fellowship are invited to submit a resume and cover letter highlighting their interest and relevant background experience to Patti Gibbons, Head of Collection Management, Special Collections, pgibbons@uchicago.edu. Applications received by July 1, 2024 will receive assured consideration.