Events

The BCaT Lab hosts several events each semester, alongside open lab hours between 10am - 3pm from Tuesday to Thursday.

If you’re interested in being active with BCaT, explore what events we’re hosting below or subscribe to our Google Calendar to be the first to know what we’re planning each month. If you’ve attended one of our events in the past, please feel free to leave feedback through our Event Feedback form!

TRYING TO JOIN an event?

For all the events that use Zoom, we use the same link. To join an event, click below.

our programming

Several of our events are consistent from semester-to-semester: 

DISCO CO(LAB)s- year-long, inter-institutional collaborative research projects

BCaT Learns- weekly lunchtime program with varying focus areas that includes guided discussions, colloquiums, book clubs, tools workshops and guest speaker presentations. 

BCaT Writes- provides a weekly supportive space for writing and body-doubling, as well as drop-in support for undergraduate students seeking writing support.

BCaT Applies- a monthly workshop with varying topics aimed at supporting your career development, from CV and job market material reviews, to discussions of alt-academic career paths, to workshopping conference materials! 

BCaT Eats- our monthly event where we prioritise rest and community-building - we invite you to join us for dinner, movies, and games. 

Other programming may include colloquium and/or panel talks, and author visits at BCaT Book Club meetings. 

BCaT Calendar

Want to learn more about an event? Click the calendar to see details about each event for that day!

Apr
24

Open Lab Hours: Writing Lab

Interested in coming to the lab to discuss research or find ways to get involved? Visit us in Skinner 3115 from 10am-3pm! We will also be hosting writing support and undergraduate drop-ins during this time.

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May
1

Open Lab Hours: Writing Lab

Interested in coming to the lab to discuss research or find ways to get involved? Visit us in Skinner 3115 from 10am-3pm! We will also be hosting writing support and undergraduate drop-ins during this time.

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May
7

Digital Mapping and Black Spaces Workshop

In this workshop, Dr. Morrison considers the constraints of mapping technologies in offering layered and rich representations of Black life and space, highlighting how digital mapping can be used both as a tool to supplement research and creative inquiry, as well as to present research findings.

Of primary concern in early design stages and at various stages of project iteration are project ethics (both conceptually and regarding labor), organization of data and metadata, and the technology/software leveraged to animate data for both internal project collaborators and external end users.

Drawing from her experience working on three large-scale digital humanities projects that utilize data about Black historical subjects, Dr. Morrison explores what has shaped her own DH mapping project.

Interested in attending? Register for the event here!

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May
8

Open Lab Hours: Writing Lab

Interested in coming to the lab to discuss research or find ways to get involved? Visit us in Skinner 3115 from 10am-3pm! We will also be hosting writing support and undergraduate drop-ins during this time.

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Apr
23

Building Interactive XR Exhibits: From Conception to Creation Day 2

Join our two-day seminar exploring XR design, AI-generated 3D models, and digital twins. Learn hands-on techniques for 3D scanning, model creation, and optimizing experiences for web and VR.

This workshop will be hosted by Christopher Derrell. Chris is an award-winning software developer who in his role, manages UX, architecture, and development to create practical and aesthetic websites. These have spanned across multiple industries including Banking, Hotels and Engineering, from Barbados to Rome, while being recognized globally as leaders in technological innovation.


Today, we will be focusing on hands-on 3D scanning, AI-generated models, Deploying Your Space and optimizing for performance. Register for the event here.

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Apr
17

Open Lab Hours: Writing Lab

Interested in coming to the lab to discuss research or find ways to get involved? Visit us in Skinner 3115 from 10am-3pm! We will also be hosting writing support and undergraduate drop-ins during this time.

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Apr
10

Open Lab Hours: Writing Lab

Interested in coming to the lab to discuss research or find ways to get involved? Visit us in Skinner 3115 from 10am-3pm! We will also be hosting writing support and undergraduate drop-ins during this time.

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Apr
9

Building Interactive XR Exhibits: From Concept to Creation day 1

Join our two-day seminar exploring XR design, AI-generated 3D models, and digital twins. Learn hands-on techniques for 3D scanning, model creation, and optimizing experiences for web and VR.

This workshop will be hosted by Christopher Derrell. Chris is an award-winning software developer who in his role, manages UX, architecture, and development to create practical and aesthetic websites. These have spanned across multiple industries including Banking, Hotels and Engineering, from Barbados to Rome, while being recognized globally as leaders in technological innovation.

Today, we will be focusing on fundamentals of 3D Design, designing XR spaces, interactive experience examples, mental Models and 3D scanning fundamentals. Register for the event here.

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Apr
3

Open Lab Hours: Writing Lab

Interested in coming to the lab to discuss research or find ways to get involved? Visit us in Skinner 3115 from 10am-3pm! We will also be hosting writing support and undergraduate drop-ins during this time.

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Apr
1

SAFIYA U. NOBLE: PLENARY & FIRESIDE CHAT WITH PATRICIA HILL COLLINS & CATHERINE KNIGHT STEELE

Dr. Safiya U. Noble is a Professor at UCLA where she serves the Director of the Center on Race & Digital Justice and Co-Director of the Minderoo Initiative on Tech & Power. She is the bestselling author of Algorithms of Oppression. This talk will be moderated by Catherine Knight Steele, Associate Professor of Communication and Director of the Black Communication & Technology Lab.

Register at go.umd.edu/noble.

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Mar
27

Open Lab Hours: Writing Lab

Interested in coming to the lab to discuss research or find ways to get involved? Visit us in Skinner 3115 from 10am-3pm! We will also be hosting writing support and undergraduate drop-ins during this time.

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Mar
26

BCaT Applies: Zeeschuimer

This workshop offers a user-friendly data scraping method for the researcher who—like me—is not tech-savvy. The tool we will discuss is Zeeschuimer, which can capture data from TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, and more by "looking over your shoulder" as you scroll through them. We will also explore the 4CAT interface, which provides a toolkit to process and analyze your raw data. Join us at Skinner 3115 or on Zoom, register here!

Pre-workshop installation instructions

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Mar
26

BCaT Book Club - Automating Black Joy

This week’s topic is on Black Feminist Speculation! This week, we are reading/listening/watching:

The Trojan Girl - Epiphany 2.0 (N.K. Jemisin)

Escape Pod 338: The Trojan Girl

The Trojan Girl, N.K. Jemisin: FULL Audiobook & Soundscape 

M Archive (Alexis Pauline Gumbs)

Parable of the Sower (Octavia Butler)

Join us at Skinner 3115 or on Zoom for BCaT Bookclub. To access the materials for this week, visit our Automating Black Joy page.

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Mar
13

Open Lab Hours: Writing Lab

Interested in coming to the lab to discuss research or find ways to get involved? Visit us in Skinner 3115 from 10am-3pm! We will also be hosting writing support and undergraduate drop-ins during this time.

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Mar
10

Black Soundscapes: A DISCO Co(Lab) Workshop

Allie Martin is an artist and ethnomusicologist from Prince George’s County, Maryland, whose work explores the intersections of race, sound, and power. Her book, Intersectional Listening: Gentrification and Black Sonic Life in Washington, DC, examines the relationships between race, sound, and gentrification in the nation’s capital.

From generative AI to various phases of appropriation, Black soundscapes are under constant surveillance and manipulation. In this workshop, Dr. Martin demonstrates strategies for considering the ethics of soundscape recording and composition in Black digital and artistic projects. Drawing from her residency with the Library of Congress Connecting Communities Digital Initiative (CCDI), she offers insights on sampling collections with critical intention across mediums, including installations, films, and digital projects. Ultimately, Dr. Martin invites a conversation about slowing the datafication of Black life, advocating for a more thoughtful approach that carefully considers the consequences and possibilities of handling Black sound.

Join us at Skinner 3115 or on Zoom. Register Now!

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Feb
27

Open Lab Hours: Writing Lab

Interested in coming to the lab to discuss research or find ways to get involved? Visit us in Skinner 3115 from 10am-3pm! We will also be hosting writing support and undergraduate drop-ins during this time.

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Feb
26

BCaT Eats: Technoskepticism Launch

Join us for the launch of the book Technoskepticism! From Munchausen by Tiktok, to wellness apps, to online communities, to AI, the DISCO Network explores the possibilities that technoskepticism can create. Technoskepticism explores possibility and refusal in new technologies, highlighting how people of color and disabled individuals have long navigated between acceptance and rejection. Technoskepticism shares their stories, revealing the opportunities skepticism can create.

To attend the event virtually, register here or join us in Skinner 3115!

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Feb
26

Information Session - Automating Black Joy

Join us for an information session to learn about our new inter-institutional research project which examines automation and AI through the lens of Black feminist inquiry.

Want to get involved? Join us in Skinner 3115 or on Zoom from 12 pm - 1 pm for our Automating Black Joy information session!

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