Profiles Stories

HMML Stories — Profiles

Meet some of the people who have a hand in preserving and sharing written history.

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Meet Dr. Paul Naylor
August 21, 2025

Meet Dr. Paul Naylor

“My PhD involved a close reading and analysis of dozens of texts authored by West African idealogues of the 19th century, most of them accessible only in manuscript form...”

  • Dr. Paul Naylor
Meet Dr. Matthew Z. Heintzelman
July 23, 2025

Meet Dr. Matthew Z. Heintzelman

“My path to HMML took place over more than 20 years. It started with my decision to major in German language and literature...”

  • Dr. Matthew Z. Heintzelman
Meet Mariam Magdy-Clark
June 12, 2025

Meet Mariam Magdy-Clark

“I’ve always been drawn to the stories behind art and artifacts, which led me to study...”

  • Mariam Magdy-Clark
Meet Dr. Ali Diakite
May 8, 2025

Meet Dr. Ali Diakite

“Dr. Ali Diakite, cataloger of West African manuscripts, began...”

  • Dr. Ali Diakite
January 16, 2025

The J.F. Hinnebusch Collection and the Writings of Jacques de Vitry

“John Frederick Hinnebusch, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1923, was the youngest...”

Dr. Jan Vandeburie

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Arthur Vööbus: Preserving a Legacy
January 24, 2024

Arthur Vööbus: Preserving a Legacy

“Dr. Arthur Voobus was many things—a scholar, pastor, teacher, and refugee in exile...”

  • Dr. James Walters
Instructions for Burial: The Last Will and Testament of Ephrem the Syrian
September 28, 2023

Instructions for Burial: The Last Will and Testament of Ephrem the Syrian

“Ephrem is perhaps the most widely known of all Syriac authors...”

  • Dr. James Walters
Build a Church, Build a Library
May 25, 2023

Build a Church, Build a Library

“If you want to establish a new church, you’re likely going to need some books...”

  • Dr. Josh Mugler
Tracing Scribal Genealogies in Syriac Manuscripts: The Naṣro Family
May 11, 2023

Tracing Scribal Genealogies in Syriac Manuscripts: The Naṣro Family

“The act of hand-copying a manuscript requires specialized skills that...”

  • Dr. James Walters
Muḥammad Ṣādiq: A Scribe Between Manuscript and Print Cultures at the Beginning of the 20th Century
April 27, 2023

Muḥammad Ṣādiq: A Scribe Between Manuscript and Print Cultures at the Beginning of the 20th Century

“A great opportunity to look at the interaction between manuscript and print cultures can be found in the Middle East...”

  • Dr. Celeste Gianni
The Calligrapher Clément Perret
April 13, 2023

The Calligrapher Clément Perret

“In the mid-15th century, the invention of the printing press made books relatively easier to produce and...”

  • Katherine Goertz
A Tribute to Getatchew Haile (1931–2021)
April 19, 2022

A Tribute to Getatchew Haile (1931–2021)

“In Wayne Gretzky’s final NHL game in Minnesota, he added four assists to the...”

  • Ted Erho
Migration, Digitization, and Preservation - A Case Study of a Somali Manuscript
August 12, 2021

Migration, Digitization, and Preservation - A Case Study of a Somali Manuscript

“On the eve of the Somali Civil War, tensions ran high in my ancestral home of Galdogob as...”

  • Mohamud Awil Mohamed
Prof. Getatchew Haile — A Giant in His Field and in the Hearts of All Who Knew Him
June 21, 2021

Prof. Getatchew Haile — A Giant in His Field and in the Hearts of All Who Knew Him

“Much has been said about the scholarly achievements of Prof. Getatchew Haile...”

  • Joe Rogers
The Gift of Knowing One Another
December 1, 2020

The Gift of Knowing One Another

“The three couples have been friends for more than 35 years. They have traveled together and...”

  • Joe Rogers
January 8, 2020

New Faces at HMML

“HMML welcomes Dr. Heinin Ali Diakite, Dr. Catherine Walsh, and Katrina Schlude...”

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Updates From the World of Metadata
December 26, 2019

Updates From the World of Metadata

“Metadata is data about data…and in HMML’s case, includes information about a...”

  • Dr. Melissa Moreton
  • 1 MIN READ
Cultural Heritage Present and Future — A Benedictine Monk’s Long View
October 7, 2019

Cultural Heritage Present and Future — A Benedictine Monk’s Long View

Watch Father Columba's NEH 2019 Jefferson Lecture.

  • Dr. Columba Stewart
National Endowment for the Humanities names Fr. Columba Stewart, OSB, the 2019 Jeffereson Lecturer
July 22, 2019

National Endowment for the Humanities names Fr. Columba Stewart, OSB, the 2019 Jeffereson Lecturer

“Established by the NEH in 1972, the lectureship is the highest honor bestowed by the federal government for...”

  • Joe Rogers
Festschrift for Getatchew Haile
May 1, 2017

Festschrift for Getatchew Haile

“In recognition of the career and work of Dr. Getatchew Haile, FBA, a festschrift was...”

Council of the British Academy Bestows Edward Ullendorff Medal Upon Getatchew Haile
July 22, 2013

Council of the British Academy Bestows Edward Ullendorff Medal Upon Getatchew Haile

“The Council of the British Academy has bestowed the Edward Ullendorff Medal upon Dr. Getatchew Haile.”

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