Scot French, professor of history and African-American studies, began work last week as the director of Virginia Center for Digital History. VCDH is charged with the mission of applying new technology to history and bringing it to the public, particularly primary and secondary schools.
College Dean Edward Ayers, who founded VCDH in 1997, appointed French to succeed William G. Thomas. Ayers said French will be an excellent replacement for Thomas, who is now a professor at the University of Nebraska.
"He had the kind of energy and vision that we were looking for," Ayers said. "I think he's going to take a hard look at everything we've done and help us establish the direction we're going to take for the next 10 years."
According to the VCDH Web site, outreach projects are geared towards teachers of primary and secondary schools. The digital projects utilize new technologies to convey American history beginning with colonial settlement through the Civil Rights Movement.
French said he is enthusiastic about taking charge of the center.
"I'm excited about the opportunity to get my hands on the wheel and learn ... to think about new ways to look at these topics," French said. "The technology is always changing and we must ask what is possible and create that [new] way of portraying history."
French said he is currently assembling a technological support staff with both technical skills and vision.
"You must have a team in place before you start to build," French said.
He added that he hopes to bring an "open mind" about merging technology and history by bringing together the academic community and the public to direct conversation about historical topics.
"Teachers are always looking for better ways to get our audience to visualize the paths and interconnectedness" of history, French said.
This relatively new field uses powerful tools to put these topics in a contextual setting, he added.
"Digital history allows you to see the big picture beyond the written word," French said.
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