About Me

Hi, my name is Camryn Gonzales! I am a biological chemistry major with a concentration in digital studies in my final year at Grinnell College.

When considering the Digital Studies concentration, I was initially intrigued after taking CSC-105: The Digital Age, as I enjoyed learning the basics of coding and learning the social implications of technology. After taking a couple of other courses here, I realized how different technologies have been integrated into the coursework to help teach a subject or showcase something. With this in mind, I thought it would be a good addition to my Biochemistry major as different software and technologies are becoming more prevalent in how we are taught the material.

The classes that made up my DST curriculum include:

    • DST-154: Evolution in Technology (with Professor Julia Bauder)
        • My “foundation course” examined the historical evolution of technology and how it has shaped the way in which we interact with these tools. Additionally, we studied how technological change has challenged or reinforced traditional structures of power.
    • CSC-105: The Digital Age (with Professor Liz Rodrigues)
        • As part of the “coding, data, and modeling” section of the concentration, this class discussed algorithmic principles and social implications of computer science. We learned some basic computing and programming while touching on some of the histories, cultural messages, and ethical implications surrounding digital technologies.
    • STA-209: Applied Statistics (with Professor Ryan Miller)
        •  Another course under the “coding, data, and modeling” section, though this class is planned for next semester. The class should cover the application of basic statistical methods while also using statistical software to analyze the data.
    • MUS-201: Digital Music Making (with Professor John Rommeriem)
        • As part of the “digital literatures, cultures, and creativity” section of the concentration, this class taught us how to make a song using a digital audio workshop (DAW). This class showed me a creative outlet of technology where I got to challenge myself by working with a software I’ve never heard about before.
    • MUS-204: Jazz Traditions (with Professor Mark Laver)
        •  Another course under the “digital literatures, cultures, and creativity” section, where this class focused more on the histories and cultures surround jazz.
    • DST-395: DST Capstone Seminar (with Professor Sarah Purcell)
        • This class is a part of the “culminating experiences” section where we got to reflect upon our progress in the concentration and discuss some issues and concerns surrounding the topic of digital studies.

With this accumulation of classes, I learned a lot more about technology in general and the implications technology has created in how we go about our lives today. Additionally, I got to learn some more practical skills like basic programming, or using software to explore the more creative ways technology can be used to create something new. Overall, I have enjoyed the classes I’ve taken under this concentration and thinking about the different ways in which technical tools are used in our work lives or day-to-day routine.

 

Additional courses which incorporated digital components:

    • BIO-150: Intro to Biological Inquiry
        • Used tools like Minitab for statistical analysis of our data
        • Additionally, we worked with a program called ImageJ to help quantify data like finding the circumference and surface area of seeds
    • PHI-121: Philosophy for Life
        • Used a program called Hypothesis which allowed us to annotate articles on our laptops, as well as letting us collaborate on annotations as a class
    • SST-295: Considering Student Success
        • Utilized a qualitative data analysis software called Nvivo to help us organize and characterize similar topics seen in our interviews
        • Also worked with Otter.ai, a recording tool used to record and transcribe interviews
    • BCM-262: Intro to Biological Chemistry
        • Worked with Chimera as a visualization tool for different proteins and molecular structures we were studying
    • CHM-363L: Physical Chemistry I Lab
        • Used Python as a way to compile and create graphs of our data that was obtained in the lab – where these graphs were often better formatted than what could be obtained through Excel
    • BCM-499: MAP: Mass Spec of Proteins
        • All data lab write ups were recorded using LabArchives as an online lab notebook to store all information obtained

Looking at some of these other classes I’ve taken outside of the concentration, there are plenty of examples in which digital tools are used to help make a class run smoothly or to explore different topics at a closer level. These classes show the intersection of how digital studies is so prevalent in our lives, and why I thought it was important to learn more about the subject during my time here at Grinnell.