Nominations
The Australasian Association for Digital Humanities (aaDH) calls for nominations to fill roles on the aaDH Executive Committee, with an election called for 13 November, 2023.
The terms of several officers and members of the aaDH Executive Committee end this year, 2023.
Since Rachel Hendery stepped down as President earlier this year, Vice President Tully Barnett has been serving as acting president until the 2023 elections can be held; the association is very grateful to Tully for her service in that role and for her continuing service as Vice-President. Executive Committee roles can be filled on an interim basis only until the next annual election. The position of President is therefore now open.
My term as Secretary of the association also ends this year. Rule 23.5 of the association states that officers can only serve two consecutive terms in any role as an officer; I am completing my second term as Secretary and cannot stand for re-election. Therefore the position of Secretary is also now open. The Secretary must be resident in the state of Victoria, Australia, where aaDH is registered as an incorporated association.
The Executive Committee, as specified in the rules of the association consists of nine members, with the possibility of additional special members being co-opted. One Ordinary Member position is currently vacant and needs to be filled.
There are therefore three vacancies to be filled:
- President
- Secretary
- 1 Ordinary Member
Nominations for these positions are now open. The rules of the association relevant to this process are:
25 Election of officers and ordinary members of the committee
25.1 To be considered valid, nominations of candidates for election as officers of the association or as ordinary members of the committee must be –
25.1.1 made to the secretary by electronic transmission; and
25.1.2 transmitted to the secretary not less than 14 days before the date fixed for the holding of the annual elections; and
25.1.3 endorsed by at least one current officer of the association or ordinary member of the committee.
25.2 A candidate may nominate for one or more vacant positions on the committee.
25.3 If insufficient nominations are received to fill all vacancies on the committee, the candidates nominated will be deemed to be elected and further nominations may be received at the annual general meeting.
25.4 If the number of nominations received is equal to the number of vacancies to be filled, the persons nominated shall be deemed to be elected.
25.5 If the number of nominations exceeds the number of vacancies to be filled, a ballot must be held.
In relation to rule 25.1.3, I will endorse the nomination of any member in good standing (in the absence of endorsement from another committee member).
In relation to rule 25.5, if a ballot is necessary, it will be run electronically by OUP commencing on November 13, 2023. To vote in such an election, it is necessary to be a member of the association in good standing (i.e. a financial member).
Although rule 25.1.2 allows for nominations up to 14 days (amended from seven days by the 2022 Annual General Meeting) before the election date, i.e. October 30, 2023, it would greatly assist OUP to have details of as many nominees as possible earlier than that date. In addition to sending your formal nomination to me at Simon.Musgrave@monash.edu, please also send a short candidate’s statement (c150 words) which will be made available here.
Nomination for the position of Secretary from Craig Bellamy:
As a founding member of the Australian Association for Digital Humanities (aaDH) and a seasoned academic learning designer and educator, I am excited to put forth my candidacy for the position of Secretary. My experience in the field of digital humanities, coupled with my current role at John Wiley and Sons, has equipped me with a unique blend of skills and insights that I believe will benefit the aaDH.
Throughout my career, I have been committed to fostering active learning and promoting digital literacy in the humanities. I have published and presented in various mediums and have been involved in numerous research and development projects. As a learning designer, I have developed online activities and tools, creating engaging and interactive student learning experiences. This experience has honed my skills in effective communication and organisation, which are crucial for the role of Secretary.
I am passionate about the potential of digital humanities to transform research and teaching, and I am committed to advocating for our field within the broader academic community and public. If elected, I will work diligently to represent the interests of our members, manage the effective operation of the aaDH, and foster a dynamic, active, and high-impact community.
I am eager to bring my energy, creativity, and broad understanding of the digital humanities to the role of Secretary. I am confident that together, we can continue advancing the field of digital humanities in Australia and beyond. Thank you for considering my candidacy.
Nomination for the position of President from Tyne Daile Sumner:
For the past fifteen years I have devoted a great deal of my scholarship, network building and social activities to ensuring that Digital Humanities and its adjacent fields are as open and accessible to as many researchers, teachers and students as possible. In particular, I have demonstrated my leadership of DH communities, events and initiatives with an emphasis on original and engaging approaches that pave new directions for the field. In my own research, I am interested in how DH labs, networks and infrastructures can be rethought, both by embracing radical new approaches to data and tools, but also by returning us to core Humanities concepts in fields ranging from poetics and linguistics to philosophy and the arts. In recent months I have taken up a position on The Alliance of Digital Humanities Organizations (ADHO) Constituent Organization group to represent Australia and New Zealand as well as led national and international events, workshops and spoken on panels and at roundtables on the future of DH in Australia. I would be honoured to be able to continue doing this work as President of aaDH.
Nomination for the position of Ordinary Member from Paul Arthur:
I am committed to the development of the digital humanities in Australasia and internationally, and have been centrally engaged with the field as it has grown substantially over the past decade. I have contributed to aaDH in various roles since its inception, initially as founding president, and later as vice-president. I am aware of the wider context and governance of the Alliance of Digital Humanities Organizations, and presently have roles within ADHO including as co-chair of the Admissions Committee for new organisations wishing to join the alliance, and as aaDH representative on the ADHO Awards Committee. I am currently Chair in Digital Humanities and Social Sciences at Edith Cowan University, and prior to this was Professor in Digital Humanities at Western Sydney University. If elected, I believe I would bring strong institutional knowledge and experience to the role of Ordinary Member, and also involvement in national infrastructure initiatives for the humanities. It would be a privilege to serve on the Executive Committee.