Biography
I am an associate professor of Classical Studies in the Department of Comparative Arts & Letters and of Ancient Near Eastern Studies in the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies at Brigham Young University.
My current university assignment is to serve as president of BYU’s chapter of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline honor society and the only interdisciplinary honor society sponsored by Brigham Young University. Chapter 58 has been part of BYU since 1951 and is housed within the Office of Undergraduate and Honors Education.
Research Interests
• Greek, Roman, and Early Christian prose fiction• Septuagint and New Testament studies
• Papyrology
• Ancient Greco-Roman magic and 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)