Wenyuan Shao of the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures has been chosen as the recipient of 2014 Robert L. and Phyllis J. Iles Award for Graduate Study of Myth, which is administrated by the Center for the Study of Religion.

Wenyuan will conduct field work in Guizhou and Yunnan Provinces this summer, examining the creation myths and origin narratives of Yi ethnic group. The award will also support her in learning Yi colloquial language and traditional writing system. Through decoding extant manuscripts and ritual practices, she aims to discover an unrecognized cultural gist of Yi people and therefore cast light on the interpretation of Han Chinese classics as well as enrich the study of comparative mythology worldwide.