PMA faculty members Mendi Obadike, Bruce Levitt, and Austin Bunn have proposed media projects in the Summer 2026 Nexus Scholar Program and are looking for undergraduate researchers to apply. With a deadline of January 12, 2026, The Nexus Scholars Program in the College of Arts & Sciences (A&S) provides undergraduate students with paid, full-time summer research opportunities under the mentorship of faculty from all across the college (humanities, social sciences, and STEM). The program also includes a professional development course, career exploration opportunities, social events, and the chance to join a cohort of 100 students with diverse interests who are passionate about learning.
Nexus Scholars are selected based on their interest in research, their ability to work collaboratively, and their potential to contribute to the field. Students who are early in their academic careers and from a variety of backgrounds are encouraged to apply. The Nexus Scholars Program is intended to be an entry point into undergraduate research, and we prioritize applicants who do not have significant research experience.
Read on to learn more about the roles offered by Professors Mendi Obadike, Bruce Levitt, and Austin Bunn or browse the full details on the Nexus Scholars website.
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Mendi Obadike: I am an interdisciplinary artist who has been teaching (in the areas of Media Studies, Creative Writing, and African-American Studies) and collaborating with artist Keith Obadike for the last 28 years. We have exhibited and performed at The New Museum, The Studio Museum in Harlem, The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, and The Museum of Modern Art and have created books, albums, works for the stage, and many large-scale public sound artworks.
Project Description: This project supports ongoing research at the intersection of art, sound, and technology within the collaborative practice of Mendi + Keith Obadike. The work spans over two decades of interdisciplinary projects—ranging from early Internet art and public sound installations to AI and satellite-based artworks. The Nexus Scholars will contribute to two related initiatives: the development of an archive and research platform documenting these projects and the production of materials for an upcoming book project that explores sound, identity, and digital media in contemporary art. I am hoping to hire one archival research assistant (with a background in African-American Studies, Art History, Media Studies, or New Media Art) and one studio production assistant (with experience in audio or video editing, programming, or art fabrication + a background in African-American Studies, Art History, Media Studies, or New Media Art). It would be helpful for students to familiarize themselves with our work before applying: http://www.obadike.com.
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Bruce Levitt: My area of study is the intersection of the performing arts and the carceral system, examining the creative and performing arts in prison, as well as facilitating a prison theatre group at both Auburn and Cayuga Correctional Facilities. I also make films and teach courses on stand-up comedy and Shakespeare. I've worked with Nexus Scholars for three summers.
Project Description: I have two projects for this summer. First is taking all the historical documents, videos, programs, and reviews and resurrecting the history of theatre at Cornell, creating a PowerPoint presentation and possibly a website. Second is assisting with the creation of a new course on virtuosity in the areas of theatre, dance, music, and film. What is virtuosity? What articles and books exist discussing and defining it? What web resources might be used as examples in a class? There may be some updating of the Phoenix Players website and additions to the Comedy Class database as well.
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Austin Bunn: I'm a writer and filmmaker, with an interest in exploring and expanding the form of the documentary. I have a particular expertise in hybrid filmmaking, combining narrative and nonfiction storytelling techniques.
Project Description: "A Common Ground" is a 30-40 minute documentary about transformative mediation and alternative responses to policing and litigation. Using interviews, archival research, reporting, and restaged/dramatized actual mediations, the film explores what agreement and reconciliation actually looks like in America in 2025. The student will be trained as an assistant editor and post-production supervisor — logging footage, working with transcripts, editing sequences, arranging licenses, etc. There is the possibility of assisting in production as well. The goal is to produce a film for distribution to public television and film festivals.
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Read more about the Nexus Scholars Program
