Karah L. Smith www.karahlsmith.com | (517) 242-0900½karah.smith13@gmail.com EDUCATION Bachelor of Arts, English Bachelor of Arts, Psychology Michigan State University | East Lansing, MI • Minor in Digital Humanities • MSU Honors College • GPA 4.0, Dean's List • Study Abroad—Literature in London • College of Education: Secondary Teacher Certification Program
May 2017 May 2017
June—August 2015 August 2013–August 2016
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Lab Manager June 2017––Present MSU English Department Digital Humanities & Literary Cognition Lab | East Lansing, MI • Managed multiple cutting-edge interdisciplinary research projects focused on novel reading, the neuroaesthetics of poetry, and narrative responses to music • Assisted lead faculty with grant writing and monitored grant account spending • Trained with Sponsored Programs Administration and the Contracts and Grants Office to earn a certification in Essentials of Research Administration (November 2017) • Designed and implemented new infrastructure to improve the lab’s efficiency, communication, organization, production, and visibility • Supervised undergraduate and graduate researchers and encouraged them to develop independent research projects to present and/or publish work both locally and nationally • Assisted with publications and presentations of interdisciplinary work • Proctored study participants in behavioral and neuro-scientific experiments Undergraduate Researcher, Lab Lead, & Intern March 2015—May 2017 MSU Digital Humanities & Literary Cognition Lab | East Lansing, MI • Played a lead role in creating a pilot study examining narrative structures perceived in orchestral music • Promoted to a paid Lab Lead position after six months of voluntary participation as a result of exemplary dedication, passion, and competence • Directed meetings, assigned tasks, trained new students, and facilitated group discussion • Collaborated in the development of a behavioral study that measured a reader’s aesthetic pleasure in literature and poetry with the goal to translate the study into an fMRI compatible experiment • Worked with a team on compiling and analyzing data from a previous fMRI study that examined the effects of Jane Austen’s “Mansfield Park” on the brain • Co-author of a journal article for publication with Routledge titled, “Attention and Memory in Jane Austen: Literary Neuroscience, History of Mind, and the Importance of Individual Difference" • Completed a digital humanities internship focusing on experiment development, conference presentation, grant writing, and leadership Freelance Editor August 2016—May 2017 Editana (Digital Start-Up Company) | Melbourne, Australia • Passed an editorial exam designed to measure my copywriting abilities and style knowledge • Received training on diverse citation styles, grammar rules, and punctuation best practice • Qualified to edit and provide feedback on academic and creative writing focusing on coherence, professionalism, formatting, style, punctuation, and grammar Student Clerical Assistant II June 2013—January 2017 MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources | East Lansing, MI • Designed publications for posters, banners, greeting cards, annual reports, and invitations using Microsoft Publisher and graphic design skills