Announcing MOTAL's ​​New Doll Scholar: ​A Special Intern

James Yuile Named as Third Doll Scholar

I am delighted to be accepted as the autumn curatorial and archival intern. For decades, MOTAL has diligently explored the intersecting worlds of education, social history, and anthropology—and soon neurology! And it is many of these same pursuits which have excited and driven me throughout my educational and professional growth.
 
My own education straddles the worlds of religion and Greco-Roman history. After earning a B.A. in Biblical Studies from Hope International University, I went on to complete an M.A. at Pepperdine University with a focus on ancient Greek texts, then an M.A. in Ancient Mediterranean Languages and Literature in a joint program at the Claremont Colleges Consortium. Presently, I am writing a dissertation on early Christians in their Greco-Roman environments to complete a Ph.D. at Claremont Graduate University.


A highlight of my Ph.D. program has been material culture studies, that is, learning the ins-and-outs of object analysis and preservation. During my Ph.D. coursework, I cataloged and examined materials such as Corinthian curse tablets, Egyptian pottery, and Roman catacomb epigraphs. At the same time, I was blessed with the opportunity to work under Dr. Tammi J. Schneider in organizing museum exhibitions and producing museum catalogs, with the most significant exhibit titled, Considering Gilgamesh in Story, Syria, and the Art of Saad Yagan. The collection brought together a series of paintings by Saad Yagan, a renowned Syrian artist, whose work reflects on the themes of sex, brotherhood, and death in the Epic of Gilgamesh in conversation with modern Syrian social politics.

INTRODUCING JAMES YUILE AS THE THIRD
DOLL SCHOLAR

During most of my graduate studies, I have worked as an adjunct professor while seeking new opportunities for professional growth. I underwent training at the Digital Humanities Summer Institute of the University of Victoria, the fruits of which helped me to integrate new digital skills both in college course design and in order to impart these emerging methods to students. Yet, I feel most in my element when experimenting with pedagogy and then sharing those experiments in conference settings. My aim is to maintain an interdisciplinary approach both in research and in my profession, working in and with various academic centers including museums, universities, libraries, and private collections.

In Memory of Loren Doll
Click Here to View Loren's Obituary

The scholarship will continue to be funded with annual proceeds from a perpetual account. MOTAL also welcomes any further donations to support future scholars in Loren’s memory. Note: MOTAL interns are paid for their services. They do not work for free. One scholarship will support three months of part-time service.

Checks may be sent to:
MOTAL
P.O. Box 3820
Fullerton, CA 92834-3820

Electronic credit card contributions in Loren’s name may be given securely at www.motal.org.