ASOR FELLOWSHIP RECIPIENTS: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
ROBBYN LANNING
A photograph of Robbyn behind the lens of her camera near the Humayma site, taken by Swelem al Manaja’a, June 2007.
What was your most memorable moment during the excavation season you participated in?
The most memorable moment of my Platt-supported graduate fieldwork was arriving at the excavation site in Humayma, Jordan and meeting Swelem al Manaja’a. Under the auspices of Dr. John P. Oleson, I had worked with Swelem in 2004 and 2006 as part of my role as photographer and co-curator for exhibitions at the Aqaba Museum and Humayma Visitor Centre; in 2007, Swelem had again agreed to collaborate with me.
When I arrived on site, Swelem excitedly showed me a large stone near the Roman wall he had discovered and saved (disguising it for months as his regularly-used seat at tea-time while he was working consolidating the wall for the Department of Antiquities). When we flipped the stone over it became obvious that this was no ordinary stone – I would soon learn the stone held the longest most substantial Nabataean inscription found at Humayma to date. Details about this event are featured in my thesis resulting from this field work, Inverting the Lens: Insider photography by the Manaja’a family, Humayma, Jordan. In addition, an article in the Journal of Semitic Studies (2010, 55(2), 497–507) about the inscription written by George Bevan and M. Barbara Reeves, entitled A New Nabataean Funerary Inscription from Humayma, credits Swelem for his excellent discovery.
What advice would you give a fellow recipient?
My best advice to a fellow recipient is to challenge yourself, take risks in your work, and do what you love whenever possible.
Are you still affiliated with ASOR as a member?
I am not still affiliated with ASOR, though I follow on twitter (@AmerSchOrietRes) and often find myself reading ASOR’s blog. My career trajectory has shifted away from the Near East, and so it is just too much to keep up with on a formal basis.
What is the current status of your career or education (or other project)?
Currently I am the Administrator at the University of Victoria Centre for Studies in Religion in Society (CSRS). The CSRS is the leading centre in Canada for scholarly interdisciplinary research on topics at the intersection of religion and public life. We host several national public policy research networks, sponsor visiting fellowships for senior and junior scholars and members of the community, and produce a dynamic annual program of public lectures and seminars. Building from my research, curatorial and administrative experience, I am pursuing a path into the field of Library and Information Science to become an academic librarian. I am currently a first year Master’s of Library and Information Science student at the University of Washington’s iSchool – and I am loving it.
How did the scholarship/grant help you with your career?
Receiving the Platt Fellowship provided me with both an incredible honour and the real-world financial means to conduct my thesis research. The fellowship provided me the freedom to undertake a creative, collaborative and interdisciplinary project and to contribute (however minutely!) to discussions about the formation of cultural and national identities through the use of visual symbols and imagery. In addition, the hands-on experience I gained in the field as a result of the Platt Fellowship informs my daily work as the administrator of a well renowned interdisciplinary and globally-focused research centre.
