Biography
Current Positions
• Head of Program in Classical Studies
• Ludwig-Weber-Siebach Professor of the Humanities, 2018–2023
• President of BYU Chapter of Phi Kappa Phi, 2018
• Member of BYU’s Ancient Textual Imaging Group
Degrees
• Ph.D. in Classical Philology, Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2004
• M.A. in Classics, Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2000
• B.A. in Classics, Univ. of Utah, 1997
• B.A. in Comparative Literature, Brigham Young University, 1993
Interests
Papyrology, Ancient Prose Fiction, Classical Textual Criticism
Research Interests
• Greek, Roman, and Early Christian prose fiction• Papyrology
• Ancient witchcraft
• Ancient piracy
Teaching Interests
I love reading and discussing great literature with students. It is even better when we can read works by ancient authors together in the original language. The more I read, study, and discuss these texts, the more impressive they become.While being a good colleague is important in all levels of academia, I find that the most important service I render is in making my office and my classroom safe spaces for everyone—especially those who might feel unsafe or marginalized elsewhere.
Education
- Ph.D., Classical Philology , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2004)
- M.A., Classics , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2000)
- B.A., Classics , University of Utah (1997)
- B.A., Comparative Literature , Brigham Young University (1993)