PhD Graduates

Eric Beckman Ph.D. Indiana University 2020

I am currently the Lecturer of Latin in the Department of World Languages and Cultures at Southeastern Louisiana University. My dissertation, Do You See What I’m Saying: Painting and Paideia in Philostratus’ Imagines, examines how Philostratus’ use of models drawn from visual art and the materiality of the paintings works in tandem with his deep understanding of the Hellenistic literary tradition in order to construct a network of examples intended to reinforce the elite ideals and cultural memories at the heart of paideia. My other research interests include Greek literature, Greek and Roman material culture, and issues of art and antiquities provenance. My article, “Color-Coded: The Relationship between Color, Iconography, and Theory in Hellenistic and Roman Gemstones” was published in What Shall I Say of Clothes? Theoretical and Methodological Approaches to the Study of Dress in Antiquity (SPAAA 3. Boston: AIA) in 2017. From September 2016 to May 2017, I served as the Graduate Intern in Antiquities at the Getty Villa.

Sean Tandy Ph.D. Indiana University 2019

https://www.aap.udel.edu/people/smtandy

Currently, I am assistant professor in the History department at the University of Delaware, offering courses in World History, the history of Christianity, Classical Mythology, and the city of Rome. As a historian of the Late Roman Empire, my research focuses on the political role of literature in the fifth and sixth centuries CE. My IUB dissertation, “Carmina Qui Quondam: Poetry, Identity, and Ideology in Ostrogothic Italy,” was supported by an Arthur Ross Pre-doctoral Rome Prize from the American Academy in Rome (2018-19). With IU’s Jeremy Schott and IU alum Martin Shedd I have also co-authored a translation and commentary on the late fifth century Ecclesiastical History of Anonymous Cyzicenus, which will be published in the series Writings from the Greco-Roman World. An article about this text, ‘Hagiographic History: Reading and Writing Holiness in the Ecclesiastical History of Anonymous Cyzicenus’ is also forthcoming in the Journal of Late Antiquity.

Martin Shedd Ph.D. Indiana University 2017

Since July 2021, I have served as the Society for Classical Studies fellow at the Thesaurus Linguae Latinae. Here, I have put my graduate Latin prose compositional training to work, writing articles about Latin, in Latin. Lemmata of note have so far included revivisco, rhombus, and the comedic pair: rideo and ridiculus. I am in the process of revising my dissertation for publication of what will be a fairly different book, Princes and Monsters, Morals and Community in the Historia Augusta. My work with the manuscript evidence, which challenges the prevailing theory of the HA’s authorship, can be found in Classical Quarterly, “The Historia Augusta before Pal. lat. 899: Lost Manuscripts and Scribal Mediation.” A curiosity about all historiography of dubious origin has also led to the upcoming publication of a translation volume of an anonymous Ecclesiastical History with IU professor of Religious Studies Jeremy Schott and fellow Classics alumnus Sean Tandy, as well as an independent companion article, “The Mask of Compilation: Authorial Interventions in Anonymous Cyzicenus,” GRBS (2022), 494-525. Those curious to know more about the work of the TLL can follow my recently launched blog: https://atllfellowrambles.wordpress.com.

Mariah Smith Ph.D. Indiana University 2016

Starting in 2021, I am a lecturer in the Department of Classics at the University of Georgia, where I teach a variety of cultural and language courses. Previously, I held the Responsible Governance and Sustainable Citizenship Project (RGSCP) Postdoc at the University of New Hampshire (2018-2021) and was a Lecturer in Classics at the University of Southern California (2017-2018). My recent article “Composing the Puella: Pliny the Younger’s Elegiac Experimentation” (Illinois Classical Studies, Vol. 45, No. 1 (Spring 2020): 132-157) reexamines Pliny’s characterization of his wife, Calpurnia, as a poetic persona rather than as a historically accurate representation. In another article I read recitatio, the oral performances of written works, as a negotiation of social power between patrons and poets. My current research project is the creation of a database on Pliny’s Letters that tracks themes, geographical references, literary allusions, and reoccurring names in the letters. I will use this data to explore the intersection between characters within Pliny’s letters and their historical realities by cross referencing reoccurring names in the Letters with thematic, geographic, and onomastic markers.

Kenneth Draper Ph.D. Indiana University 2015

https://classics.indiana.edu/about/core-faculty/draper-kenneth.html

Michael Vasta

Ph.D. Indiana University 2014

Masters of Art in Teaching Latin

Elizabeth Figlio

MAT Indiana University 2023

After completing my MAT at IU, I quickly found employment as the Executive Administrative Assistant with the law firm Bouneff, Chally, and Koh in Portland. Though I am not teaching Latin, I found that my experience with IU Classics to be fundamental in my preparation for this role. Beyond an advanced understanding of Latin and pedagogy, this program excelled in preparing me professionally. I received wonderful mentorship and opportunities for various instructional and assisting experiences. The chance to teach elementary Latin courses was an exciting exercise in organization and planning, along with the ability to make genuine connections with the broader IU community. My student teaching at Bloomington South was a particular highlight of the program. I was fortunate to receive the support and mentorship of an outstanding Latin teacher. Soon after the completion of my student teaching, I was hired to be a long-term substitute Latin teacher for Bloomington North.

Jessica Thompson

BA Williams College 2021, MAT Indiana University 2022

I am currently teaching Latin and AVID, a college and career readiness course, at S.F. Austin High School in Austin, Texas. I am excited to revitalize and expand the Latin program and club here, as well as get more involved in/with the Texas Junior Classical League! It’s been really rewarding sharing my passion for classics with my students and colleagues, and I believe my experience teaching and furthering my education at IU has prepared me for this new journey!

Zoe Barnett

BA Liberal Arts, Louisiana Scholars’ College, Northwestern State University of Louisiana 2017

MAT Indiana University 2020

As the Latin Teacher at Bloomington High School North, I plan and instruct Latin grammar, prose, and poetry for high schoolers right here in Bloomington! My preparation in the IU Latin MAT program--specifically, in learning the inner workings and pedagogy of Latin and language itself--has helped me immensely in both the hiring process and the classroom. I also just really enjoyed how challenging the program was in general, and how aware I became of my strengths and how to utilize them best! That resulted from the classes I took, the instructors who taught them, and the mentor teacher with whom I was paired for student teaching. Additionally, my Latin teaching experience in the program trained me in the collaboration, instructional strategies, and relationship-building that my district values in its educators.

Maria Latham

BA Classical Philology, University of Dallas 2015

MAT Indiana University 2018

I worked briefly in the publishing industry before returning to IU to begin a career in student services. Currently I work in the office of the Individualized Major Program and assist undergraduate students as they design curricula for majors and minors not otherwise offered at IU. My background in the Department of Classical Studies allows me to work confidently within a unit of a similar interdisciplinary scope and to communicate effectively with students and faculty engaged in diverse areas of research and expertise. The pedagogical training—both practical and theoretical—I received while earning the MAT has likewise proven to be an immense strength in the development of my professional career in higher education. In addition to my work with IMP, I continue teaching elementary Latin occasionally through private tutoring or with the Classics Department at IU.

Lindsay Pappas

BA Classics Notre Dame 2010

MAT Latin Indiana University 2017

I teach Latin and English at Bedford North Lawrence High School. I am currently the World Languages Department Chair and in the fall of 2021 I will complete a Certificate in Advanced Instructional Communication, the necessary accreditation to teach Dual Credit Public Speaking, through the University of Southern Indiana. I was also honored to be the 2021 Teacher of the Year at BNL High School. One of the highlights of my Latin program is the annual field trip up to the Herman B. Wells Library at IU, during which students gain real experience working with collegiate resources and doing research at an undergraduate level. I am grateful for the language skills I developed at IU, as well as my student teaching experience, which have combined to make me the successful teacher I am today.

Sean Miranda

MAT Indiana University 2014

After graduation I taught Latin for three years at Herron High School in Indianapolis. I worked with a team of Latin teachers at Herron and taught Latin II, Latin III, and AP Latin. I also sponsored the school’s Classics Club and worked very closely with the Indiana Junior Classical League. Over the summer I accepted an offer from the Francis W. Parker School in Chicago. At Parker I teach all levels of Latin and have inherited an established and well-beloved program. The Department of Classical Studies prepared me for secondary teaching due to its rigor and supportive faculty. My time with the department has left me as a master of my craft and a competitive candidate. My position as an associate instructor also gave me invaluable teaching experience. Mentorship within the department also helped me select the education program that was the best fit for me.

Masters of Art (Latin or Greek)

Morgan Eriksen

BA Miami University of Ohio 2021

MA Latin Indiana University 2023

I am currently pursuing a PhD in Classical Archaeology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel-Hill. I am working as a teaching assistant and also as a student archaeologist in the American Excavations at Morgantina: Agora Valley Project in the summer. At Chapel-Hill, I am continuing my research in Roman and Sicilian archaeology.

Timothy Buonocore

BA Catholic University 2021

MA Latin Indiana University 2023

I am preparing, at the moment, to accept an offer to teach Latin to grades 5 through 8 at Lumen Christi school in Indianapolis. It is hard to believe the amount that I have grown in the short two years I have spent in the classics department at IU. Here, I have found supportive friends and brilliant faculty. I was very fortunate to be assigned to teach Latin here, even in my first semester. The experience was not only valuable, allowing me to tell employers that I have done a full year of teaching Latin already, but also fun, revealing to me a rewarding passion that I didn't know I had.

Claire Drone-Silvers

MA Latin Indiana University 2018

MLS Indiana University 2019

I am currently employed as a Research Services Librarian at the Boston Public Library, after working on digital and print archives at the IUPUI Ruth Lilly Special Collections and at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ALA Archives. I chose to attend Indiana University in order to pursue a degree in Classical Studies and a Master’s Degree in Library Science (MLS) concurrently. Although it was occasionally challenging to balance my schedule between the two programs, I found that many of the courses complemented each other, especially since courses in both programs encouraged use of the Lilly Library and its wealth of materials (including plenty of medieval manuscripts written in Latin).

Katie Caliva

MA Indiana University 2013

PhD The Ohio State University 2019

In 2023, I joined the faculty of St. Bonaventure University as an Assistant Professor in the Department of History. This followed appointments as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Kenyon College (2022-2023), Valparaiso University (2021-2022), and Hollins University (2020-2021), and as a Lecturer at The Ohio State University (2019-2020), where I also earned my Ph.D. in Classics (2018). In these positions, I have had the opportunity to develop and implement courses in Greek and Roman history, classical mythology, ancient epic, and women in antiquity. My research focuses on Greek poetry and ancient Mediterranean religions, with additional interest in speech act theory, epigraphy, and the female voice in literature. I am currently preparing a monograph on mythic knowledge and narrative authority in Greek lyric poetry.

List of conferred degrees:

Morgan Eriksen, MA 2023: Student of Classical Archeology at University of North Carolina, Chapel-Hill, North Carolina 

Timothy Buonocore, MA 2023: Latin Teacher, Lumen Christi School, Indianapolis, Indiana 

Jessica Thompson, MAT 2023: Latin Teacher, S.F. Austin High School, Austin, Texas

Elizabeth Figlio, MAT. 2023: Executive Administrative Assistant in Law, Portland, Oregon

Eric Beckman, Ph.D. 2020: Dissertation "Do You See What I'm Saying: Painting and Paideia in Philostratus' Imagines"

Abby Pullen, MAT. 2020: Latin Teacher, STEMCivics Middle School, Trenton, New Jersey

Matthew Rodney, MAT. 2020: Humanities Teacher, Purdue Polytechnic High School Schweitzer Center, Indianapolis, Indiana

Zoe S. Barnett, MAT. 2020: Latin Teacher, The Windward School, White Plains, NY

Sean Tandy, Ph.D. 2019: Dissertation: “Carmina Qui Quondam: Poetry, Identity, and Ideology in Ostrogothic Italy,” Temporary Assistant Professor, University of Delaware, Wilmington

Martin Shedd, Ph.D. 2017: Murphy Visiting Fellow at Hendrix College

Laura Brant, Ph.D. 2016: Dissertation: “Apuleian Women and Genre”

Alan Fleming, Ph.D. 2016: Associate Faculty of World Languages and Cultures, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis

Kyle Grothoff, Ph.D. 2016: Student at the Maurer School of Law, Indiana University, Bloomington

Mariah Smith, Ph.D. 2016: Post Doc in the Department of Classics, Humanities, and Italian, at University of New Hampshire

Kenneth Draper, Ph.D. 2015: Assistant Professor, Indiana University, Bloomington

Michael Vasta, Ph.D. 2014: Assistant Project Manager, Americaneagle.com

Michael Holstead, Ph.D. 2013: Adjunct Instructor of Classical Studies, St. Norbert College, De Pere, Wisconsin

Robert Nichols, Ph.D. 2013: Visiting Assistant Professor of Classical Studies, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia

Joshua Congrove, Ph.D. 2011: Assistant Editor, Indiana University Mathematics Journal, Bloomington, Indiana

Varunadatta Edirisinghe, Ph.D. 2010: Senior Lecturer in Greek Roman Studies, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

Gabriel Grabarek, Ph.D. 2010: World Languages teacher at Mary Institute and Saint Louis Country Day School, St. Louis, Missouri

Bruce Warren, Ph.D. 2010: Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis

Susan A. Curry, Ph.D. 2009: Senior Lecturer in Classics, University of New Hampshire, Durham

Nicholas Gresens, Ph.D. 2009: Senior Lecturer in Classics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York

Corinne E. Shirley, Ph.D. 2009: Senior Instructor in Classics, Missouri State University, Springfield

Arti Mehta, Ph.D. 2008: Lecturer in Classics, Howard University, Washington, D.C.

Elizabeth Richey, Ph.D. 2008: Cataloging Specialist at Florida State University Libraries, Tallahassee

Preston Massey, Ph.D. 2006: Assistant Professor, Indiana Wesleyan University, Marion, Indiana

James B. Wells, Ph.D. 2006: Associate Professor of Classical Studies, DePauw University, Greencastle, Indiana

David M. Branscome, Ph.D. 2005: Associate Teaching Professor of Classics, Florida State University, Tallahassee

Robert Chavez, Ph.D. 2005: Senior Content Solutions Architect, Massachusetts Medical Society

Julie Langford, Ph.D. 2005: Associate Professor of History, University of South Florida, Tampa

Austin M. Busch, Ph.D. 2004: Associate Professor of Ancient Literature, Department of English, SUNY Brockport

Jennifer Chavez, Ph.D. 2004: Latin teacher in the Marblehead Massachusetts Schools

Rebecca Edwards, Ph.D. 2004: Associate Professor of Classics, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio

Brett Robbins, Ph.D. 2004: Lecturer in Classics, San Diego State University

Michael Lundell, Ph.D. 2002: Senior Assistant Vice Provost - Curricular Policy and Procedures, Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, Indiana University, Bloomington

Teresa Ramsby, Ph.D. 2002: Associate Professor of Classics, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Noelle Zeiner-Carmichael, Ph.D. 2002: Professor of Classics, College of Charleston, South Carolina