Thanks to donors, both undergraduates and graduate students are able to further their research, strengthen their language skills, learn new techniques and methodologies, and see the world! read more about Students return from summer research travel »
During the summer of 2026, the Duke Department of Classical Studies provided me with funding that allowed me to participate in the Thesaurus Linguae Latinae (TLL)’s Summer School program at the Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften in Munich, Germany. The TLL is a 120-year-long ongoing project that seeks to create the world’s most comprehensive Latin lexicographical resource by utilizing all extant Latin texts (including inscriptions and papyri) from the origins of the language up through the 6th century CE. Along with 14… read more about Emma Glen (Y5 PhD): Thesaurus Linguae Latinae (TLL)’s Summer School »
Andrew carrying a fragment of a mola olearia, a Roman olive mill Thank you very much for your [donors] generous research travel funding, which I used to help fund trips to Spain, where I completed the archaeological database behind my dissertation, and to Denmark, where I presented part of my dissertation methodology at the Theoretical Roman Archaeology Conference (TRAC). I began in Andalusia (southern Spain), where I spent several weeks examining… read more about Andrew Welser (Y6 PhD): The Roman Olive Oil Industry in Southern Spain »
The apodyterium of the baths at Herculaneum This past summer, I worked on two archaeological sites. The first project was at the Etruscan site of Montereggi, near Florence. Here, I was able to work with a local Italian team alongside FSU researchers. While working as an archaeologist at Montereggi, I learned a lot about Etruscan history and material culture, both from firsthand experience with the materials and from the experienced archaeologists and scholars with whom I was working. I… read more about Aimee Thompson (Y2 PhD): Archaeological Excavations »
As the third Bridge student in Duke’s Classical Studies Department I had the pleasure to continue improving my skills in Latin and Greek during the 2025-2026 academic year to more fully prepare for my admission to the full PhD program. As part of this training I participated in City University of New York’s Latin and Greek Institute (LGI) Upper Level Greek Course. Although I received a partial scholarship to cover the cost of LGI’s tuition, the summer travel fund ensured that I would be able to continue my refresher Greek… read more about Joseph Goodwin (Y1 PhD): CUNY Latin and Greek Institute, Upper Level Greek Course »
My introduction to CUNY's Latin/Greek Institute took root from an unexpected hallway conversation. Returning from a reception, I was fortunate enough to chat with Prof. Joshua Sosin, whose archival work in papyri overlapped with my own fascination with classical history. As our discussion turned to reading Greek, he recommended the LGI, a program that pours 4-6 semesters' worth of content into just 10 weeks of class. The prospect of entering the "Parris Island" of Greek stirred my interest. I emailed the program director,… read more about Jack Clodfelter ('27): Basic Greek at CUNY Latin/Greek Institute »
This summer I spent six weeks studying Attic Greek in London. With the support of a Research Travel Award, I took classes through King College London’s Ancient Languages summer school, which runs a beginner’s program and an intermediate program (the equivalent of one year of Greek) successively. I am so grateful to the department not only for funding my studies but for the encouragement, advice, and support they offered as I considered applying!Peeling open my loaner textbook on the first day of class, a much-loved… read more about Sophia Fratta ('28): Ancient Greek Summer School at King's College London »
The Declaration of Independence proclaimed powerful ideals about liberty, equality and the right of people to govern themselves — and the meanings of these notions has been debated, interpreted and tested ever since. As Duke celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the milestone offers a chance to look beyond 1776 and revisit the ideas that helped shape the nation. The following Trinity College courses explore the intellectual roots, global revolutions… read more about 1776 in the Classroom: Exploring the Ideas Behind the Declaration of Independence »
The Office of the Provost has awarded Intellectual Community Planning Grants to ten projects from Duke faculty members based in eight schools, along with faculty colleagues at UNC-Chapel Hill, NC Central and NC State.These planning grants will be used to cover the cost of meeting venues, external speakers, event materials, books or other meeting costs, and/or exploratory research into potential collaborators.Seed funding supports Duke’s strategic vision of empowering the boldest thinkers to take on pressing challenges and… read more about Trinity Faculty Collaborations Receive Intellectual Community Planning Grants »
Jason Murray is a senior double majoring in Classical Languages and Philosophy with a minor in Political Science. In addition to serving as a Trinity Ambassador, he co-leads the Transformative Ideas Living Learning Community, works with the Center for Christianity and Scholarship and is a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow. His academic interests center on ancient history and theology, particularly the intellectual life of the Eastern Roman Empire. In his free time, he enjoys playing chess and strategy video games. As… read more about Jason Murray '26: Studying the Ancient World While Building Community in Durham »
Deven Gupta came to Duke because he didn’t have to compromise. A double major in Biophysics and Classical Civilization, Gupta arrived knowing he wanted a career in medicine without sacrificing the humanities — a perspective shaped by growing up in a home where math and science carried the same importance as the arts and humanities. Gupta joined the Biomedical Interferometry Optics and Spectroscopy lab as a first-year student. What surprised him most wasn’t the technical… read more about Deven Gupta '26: Duke Through a Wider Lens »
Wells, along with Ashley Lance, co-edited a special issue of Res Difficiles - "Rez Diff: Indigenous Perspectives."READ IT HERE.In this issue, the editors and the authors seek to reclaim and "recover Indigenous experiences through ancient texts; recognize the role of Classical Studies and anthropology in land dispossession and destruction; question definitions of ‘indigeneity,’ ‘autochthony,’ and other terms; analyze visual and material depictions of Indigenous peoples; explore representations of Indigenous thought… read more about Tara Wells co-edits volume of Res Difficiles »
Duke’s Trinity College of Arts & Sciences has invited its faculty to submit proposals for the creation of new research initiatives on campus.Following the successful launches of the SPACE Initiative and the Society-Centered AI Initiative, the Trinity Research Initiative will support new directions for interdisciplinary research through seed funding for nascent research collaborations, community-building, and complementary educational and outreach activities.Open to all areas of research and… read more about Trinity College of Arts & Sciences Invites Proposals for New Research Initiatives »
Four faculty in the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences were recently recognized by the Arts & Sciences Council for outstanding achievements in undergraduate teaching.Each year, the Council’s Committee on Undergraduate Teaching honors outstanding faculty for their commitment to their students, for engaging them deeply in research and scholarship, for their continued development as innovative teachers and mentors, and more.Members of the council — in collaboration with the dean's office — select… read more about Four Trinity Faculty Receive 2025 Undergraduate Teaching Awards »
It was late in the evening in December and I was sitting at my desk crying. I don’t mean dainty tears, I mean ugly crying. Why? Because the ongoing impact of Covid-19 had exhausted all my mentoring tools (not to mention exhausted me!) and, as a result, I worried that I was failing mentees in crisis in my role as DGS. I simply did not know what to do, and that lack of knowing felt awful. read more about A Humanist’s Very Human Perspective on the Realities of Mentoring »
On June 5, 2025, Professor Maurizio Forte published his new book A New Etruscan Archaeology: Twenty-First Century Techniques and Methods (Oxford University Press). Abstract:“A New Etruscan Archaeology” redefines our understanding of Etruscan civilization by emphasizing the transformative impact of innovative technologies and multidisciplinary approaches. Historically overshadowed by Roman and Greek studies, Etruscan archaeology provides essential insights into the Mediterranean's cultural… read more about Professor Forte Publishes New Book! »
A Day in the Life at Pottery Wash featuring area supervisor Hannah During the Summer of 2025, I had the privilege of volunteering with the American School of Classical Studies in Athens’ excavation at the Athenian Agora. During my time as a volunteer, I gained valuable hands-on field experiences, worked closely with ceramic specialists, and made meaningful connections with fellow graduate students. Aside from these experiences in the field, I also became intimately familiar with the… read more about Theresa Cole: Athenian Agora Excavation »
Thanks to the support of the Department, between June 16 and 27 I had the opportunity to attend the two-week online Summer School Digital Tools for Humanists 2025 organized by the Laboratory for Digital Culture at the University of Pisa, Italy. The Summer School was divided into two modules: Working on History for the first week and Working with AI for the second week. It was designed as an introductory course and an intensive exploration of different tools that recent technological… read more about Beatrice Milanesi: Digital Humanities Online Summer School »
In the fall semester of 2022, I read what at the time I thought was the best academic paper on Plato ever written. “‘I Went Down to the Piraeus Yesterday’: Routes, Roads, and Plato’s Republic” (Hesperia Vol. 89 No. 4. Oct-Dec. 2020. 725-755) cracked open Plato’s Republic in a way that I had never before thought possible: asking what route Socrates and Glaucon son of Ariston (and older brother of Plato) had taken from the city to house of Cephalus in the Piraeus in the opening lines… read more about Daniel Orr: People and Places of Greek Philosophy »
Thanks to the CLST Department’s Research Travel Award, I was able to spend a significant portion of my summer in Greece, visiting sites and museums which are central to my dissertation research on migrant women in the ancient Greek world. In particular, the funding made it possible for me to travel and stay in Athens for about 6 weeks, giving me a solid homebase for my work. I was able to hold an Associate Membership at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, which gave me access to the school’s libraries and… read more about Tara Wells: Analyzing Stelae and Inscriptions in Athens and Delphi »
This summer, with the generous funding from the Classical Studies travel award, I participated in the American Academy in Rome Classical Summer School, which took place from June to July. With the support from this award, I spent over five weeks in Italy, during which I visited many different ancient sites and museums including those in Rome, the Bay of Naples, Tarquinia, and Florence. Under the direction of Dr. Evan Jewell (Rutgers University, Camden), our group explored themes of “wayfinding” in ancient cities, personal… read more about Brooke Braden: Classical Summer School at the American Academy in Rome »
Through the generous funding provided by the Classics Department, I undertook a transformative three-week journey to Greece focused on experiencing ancient Greek as a living linguistic tradition. This immersive experience fundamentally enhanced my understanding of the language's continuity from antiquity to the present day.Mount Athos: Living Ancient GreekMy journey began with four days on Mount Athos, an autonomous monastic republic where Greek serves as the lingua franca among monks from diverse international backgrounds… read more about Jason Murray Jr.: Ancient Greek Language Immersion in Greece »