Allan Martell Joins VFP

In August of 2020, Dr. Allan Martell was hired as a postdoctoral researcher at the School of Library and Information Science (LIS) where he collaborates with the Virtual Footlocker Project (VFP). His research centers on youths’ memories of historical episodes of violence such as civil wars, genocides, or dictatorships. In his work, he traces the interactions of youths with historical representations of violence in cultural heritage organizations — such as memorials, museum exhibitions, and archival records — and how the design decisions around such representations shape these interactions. Martell’s interest in historical episodes of violence is informed by his own experience having been born during the civil war of El Salvador (1980-1992) and growing up in the postwar period. He is deeply interested in how personal archives of wartime serve as interfaces with the violent past, and how war veterans, through their records, offer opportunities for critical reflection and emotional engagement with this past.