Clark Doman
Major: American Studies, Economics,
Research Location: San Marino, California
Clark visited the Huntington Library, one of the nation's premier research libraries, to explore archival sources on climate change and migration in California. His project examines the formation of the American public's perception of California as a natural paradise throughout the 1880-1930 period and how that perception is subverted during the Great Depression era when climate migrants fled the Dust Bowl in the Southwest to seek refuge in the Golden State. He also traveled to Bakersfield to visit historical sites that related to the Dust Bowl migrants.
Clark says, "The experience of conducting archival research at the Huntington Library gave me more confidence that I can utilize rare books from a first-class institution to enhance my research. I have never done archival research before, so traveling alone to an institution with such an amazing archival collection was a totally new experience that I enjoyed and grew from."