PERSONAL STATEMENT

This tech-savvy data scientist can make a real difference to your team. As a postgraduate in cultural information science, I am skilled in identifying problems and spot opportunities while connecting cultural heritage data with people both online and offline. As an added bonus this humanities lover can also code (specialize in text mining and analysis with Python), make and edit videos (Adobe Premier and Pinnacle Studios) and make stunning websites with WordPress.

EDUCATION

2017-2018 University of Amsterdam
rMA Media Studies with specialization in Information Science
2016-2017 University of Amsterdam
MA Culturele Informatie Wetenschappen
2011-2015 University of Amsterdam
BA English Language and Culture
2009-2011 University of Applied Science Amsterdam
Propaedeutic BSc Nutrition and Dietetics
2002-2009 Hermann Wesselink College (secondary school)
VWO program (pre-university training) exam subjects: Dutch, English, Economics, History, Geography, Mathematics (statistics and probability theory), Biology and Information/computer science.
Extra curriculum courses: Chemistry and Physics

WORK EXPERIENCE

Aug 2016 – Present Student-Assistant IT for Education, University of Amsterdam (FMG-Social Sciences)
Next to giving teachers first line support for the digital learning environments (Blackboard and Canvas) ICTO primarily focusses on blended learning, e-learning and distant learning projects such as MOOCs on a variety of platforms, selecting, testing and implementing tools for education such as attendance tools, portfolio tools, interviewing tools but also various analytical tools and techniques for evaluating student progress. ICTO also supports and guides teachers through the process of digital examination. ICTO provides training for teachers (one-on-one or small groups) and makes manuals for digital tools offered by the university. Twice a year teachers and students are able to apply for funding for digital grassroots projects, ICTO personally supports teachers and students in the application process and if their application is successful with their projects; currently I am personally working on the grassroots project Ramp sporen (rampsporen.nl) where I am digitizing about 40 to 60 ethnographic reports written by students for the class Anthropology of Disaster and making them publicly available.

March 2013 – August 2016 Marks and Spencer Amsterdam. Customer Assistant in-store e-commerce (Part-time)

2006 – 2013 Albert Heijn 1168 Supermarket. Sales Assistant/Team Leader Tills (Part-time)

Skills

IT – Github repository: https://github.com/Larissa-T

Text mining and text analysis with Python
– Various projects for the MA involving tinkering with existing search engines open source as well as successfully designing an engine that could search through the Open Library Complete Dump (35gb)
– rMA thesis: Elitist language use on university websites with the help of readability formulas, current status: mining and collecting a corpus of program and course description of the top 100 humanities departments as stated by the Times Higher Education Ranking.
– Digital Methods Tutorial: currently writing an explorative paper on the use of readability formulas as a quantitative indicator of the complexity of long informative website text.
WordPress: markup in HTML and CSS and some coding in PHP for extra functionality of plugins and themes
– Past websites: rampsporen.nl, sprekendestenen.nl, labutina.nl, betaforalpha.com, annavaria.nl

Volunteer Work

September 2016 – August 2017 University of Amsterdam.

Vice Chair of the Board of Studies for the Master Cultural Information Sciences
The Board of Studies has an advisory role on changes made to the program such as exam regulations, course and program structure. Twice a year the board evaluates the courses and gives advice on how to improve them. The Board of Studies also regularly attends different types of faculty and department meetings to represent the student’s voice.

2013 Open Monumenten Dag (Heritage Day) Amsterdam

In 2013 I worked as a volunteer for a special edition of the National Heritage Day in Amsterdam. Due to the celebration of 400 years of channels in Amsterdam in 2013 four weekends were organized by the city council in which several historical buildings and sites would open their doors free of charge for the public. I worked in two different buildings as bilingual tour guide and hostess. My work involved doing historical and architectural research of the assigned buildings, provide tours based on research and instruction of building’s owners in English and Dutch for groups between 25 – 40 people, promote the event on the street, welcome people inside and provide them with information about the event; other buildings and sites to visit and above all make their time worthwhile.

Languages

Dutch: Native
English: Near Native of speech, understanding, writing and reading