What kind of research are you doing as part of your doctoral studies?
My doctoral project, Boas in Arms: Masculinity, Photography, and the Wehrmacht, looks into the amateur photography created by German soldiers during World War II. Particularly, I am researching images of soldiers engaged in theater performances and cross-dressing within the Wehrmacht. Although I am currently pursuing my degree through the Department of History at the University of Warwick, my research is adjacent to the history of art. I’m working to contextualize these images through 20th century photographic practice, traditional pantomime and festival culture in tandem with military and World War history.
What opportunities have you been able to take advantage of as a graduate student?
There have been a tremendous number of opportunities ranging from travel to lecturing. I have been the recipient of a joint Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (a German academic exchange program) and German Historical Society grant that allowed me to live in Germany and attend German language courses. Additionally, I have been given the chance to take on more public engagement projects and serve in committees centered around learning accessibility including Research Forum for German Visual Culture at the University of Edinburgh and as a presenter at Trinity College Dublin. Currently, I am hosting a podcast project titled Theoryish to introduce theory and philosophy in a beginner-friendly format aimed at undergraduates and those outside academia.
Are there particular projects or courses you worked on at Ohio State that have proved useful in your development as a scholar?
Many of the courses I took as an undergrad made an incredible impact on me, but both the Ohio State History of Art Core Theory Course and 20th century European courses were very influential to my current studies. Both of these provided a great educational foundation when I attended graduate school at University College London and have since then continued to be a part of my education. I would also like to take this opportunity to state that Ohio State academic staff provided countless help even after my time at Ohio State. Professor Namiko Kunimoto helped me apply for my master’s and had it not been for her incredible advice, I may not have been able to reach this level of academic success.
Paola Medina-Gonzalez (BA in History of Art, 2017) is currently a PhD student at the University of Warwick.
