Clement Godbarge

Clement Godbarge serves as a Lecturer in Digital Humanities at the School of Modern Languages, University of St Andrews, where his research bridges computational analysis and early modern manuscript studies with a focus on Renaissance Europe. His work critically examines the intersection of science, rhetoric, and political authority in sixteenth-century French and Italian courtly contexts.

Education:

• Doctor of Philosophy, New York University (2017)

Godbarge's research centers on how medical practitioners at Renaissance courts leveraged rhetorical strategies to position themselves as political experts, utilizing digital methodologies for manuscript analysis. His scholarship spans Renaissance intellectual history, medical humanism, and computational approaches to historical texts, contributing significantly to digital critical editions and hermeneutic theory. Current projects emphasize the material culture of scientific knowledge and the dispositio of medical texts within political frameworks.

His publication trajectory (2017–2024) reveals consistent emphasis on French and Italian Renaissance contexts, with increasing integration of computational methods for analyzing manuscript traditions. Key themes include the politicization of medical expertise, digital reconstruction of historical knowledge systems, and rhetorical analysis of scientific texts, particularly evident in his work on BnF Ms. Fr. 640.

Scientific Awards:

• Eugene S. Ferguson Prize (2019)
• RSA Digital Innovation Award (2022)

Godbarge actively mentors postgraduate researchers and secures major funding from institutions including the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Fulbright Commission, Renaissance Society of America, National Endowment for the Humanities, and Harvard University. His grants support digital infrastructure development and international collaborative projects focused on Renaissance manuscript cultures. He serves on editorial boards for Open Library of Humanities and participates in European Research Council review panels.

He co-develops computational tools like Amanuēsis (for manuscript analysis) and persNamer (for historical entity recognition), and contributes to the Making and Knowing Project and Hidden Florence digital mapping initiative. His work aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education) through digital preservation of cultural heritage.