I teach a range of language courses (Latin and Greek) and Civilization courses at Amherst College. Language courses focus on acquiring and refining grammatical and syntactical mastery and also on understanding the nuances of artistic language, whether in prose or poetry. Courses in translation focus on Roman History and Civilization as well as topics in political rhetoric (Ancient Political Rhetoric; Ancient Theories of Rhetoric and American Political Discourse).
I'm eager to direct student research projects in or beyond the formal curriculum.
In spring and summer 2019 I'm running a student research project that revolves around composing articles for the Blackwell Companion to Tacitus (ed. V. Pagan). Working closely in a research group, students will learn to navigate the essential reference works of Roman literature and imperial history, and will compose articles related to Tacitus and the imperial history that he documents.
Previous projects have included a co-authored book review on a biography of Pliny the Younger in a Classics Journal (Spring 2014) and a translation of a Neo-Latin treatise on coffee (Summer 2015).
There are also numerous opportunities for students to hone their pedagogical skills, which often complements what they have learned in and beyond the classroom. In past years advanced students from the Classics Major have been group leaders of weekly review sessions for lower-level courses and have taught in the Paideia Institute's Aequora program: they taught Introductory Latin modules at area middle schools in order to promote literacy skills and an interest in the Latin language and Greco-Roman culture.