Dissertation research for Briana Simmons, a 5th year doctoral student in the History of Art & Architecture department, has required full immersion into a new language and culture in a foreign country. Briana is exploring Brazilian culture and identity through the history, spatial layout, and architecture of Brazilian coffee plantations. Briana hopes to turn her dissertation into a book and she aspires to teach at a Research I University.
Read on to learn more about Briana's research, goals, and accomplishments.
Tell us a little about your research and how you came to choose the topic
My research examines nineteenth-century Brazilian coffee plantations. I analyze material culture, architecture, and spatial layout in order to understand the relationships of the people (e.g., owners, free laborers, and slaves) that lived and worked on these plantations. My research also considers the development of a Brazilian national identity as it is tied to plantation monoculture as well as the country’s role in shaping trans-Atlantic market trends during the nineteenth-century.
I chose this topic based on interests I developed during my graduate study at UCSB, including material culture studies, spatial theory, African Diaspora studies, and post-colonial theory.
What was it like to participate in the Grad Slam?
Participating in the Grad Slam was a very exciting experience. It was a good exercise to learn how present my research in an accessible manner in only three minutes. Thankfully, I was able to meet with the other participants in my department for some helpful brainstorming sessions. During the competition, I especially enjoyed hearing the other presenters’ talks and was impressed by the variety of research taking place on this campus.
What has graduate student life been like for you?
When considering the small percentage of people in the world that have access to higher education, being a graduate student is certainly a privilege. I have met some incredible people and traveled to amazing places because of my career. I appreciate the intellectual climate of graduate school and daily engagement with new ideas. I admit that it is easy to lose sight of this in dealing with the daily minutia of producing the dissertation, securing funding, TA workload, etc...
What has been a source of motivation or drive for you in your graduate studies?
My belief in the intellectual contribution of my project and the intrinsic value of the humanities has motivated my graduate studies. It is important to continue the support of humanistic disciplines like Art History because we teach students visual literacy, critical thinking, and how context and subtext frames their interactions with the world. My drive to be an educator comes from the desire to help students learn how to engage with concepts and ideas that they encounter on a daily basis.
Name an accomplishment you are most proud of and why
Briana in Machu PicchuI am very proud of the field research I have accomplished so far for my dissertation. I have spent several months on my own working in Brazil. I had to learn a new language and how to problem-solve and conduct research in a completely different cultural context. It has certainly been challenging and I’m heading back for more this Fall 2013.
What do you do to relax? Any hobbies, collections, pastimes, favorite places to go, favorite things to do? Along these same lines, what makes you happy?
I really enjoy going to Los Angeles to become re-energized by the city. There are always great museum exhibitions and cultural events taking place. Even just getting away from my computer screen to walk around, people-watch, and take in the urban landscape is inspiring.
What do you hope to be doing 5 or 10 years out of graduate school?
I hope to have a tenure-track position at a research university where I can continue to work on Latin American art history projects and also teach undergraduate and graduate students. I also hope to turn my dissertation into a book by then.
Do you have any advice for current grad students?
My advice is to put yourself out there and make as many connections as possible. Also, talk to everyone about your research, both in academia and the community at large…you never know who will be able to help you.