I am committed to the work of creating structures within which scholars and students from every background will thrive. I make this commitment not only because I think it is right for the field of Classics to be more diverse, equitable, and just, but also because it is an exciting opportunity to re-envision a better future for our field and the people who make it up.

While at Duke, I have had the opportunity to design two of the course which I have taught. In both, I worked to introduce students to the diversity of the ancient world.  “Ancient Race, Modern Racism” was an introduction to college writing seminar that drew many students who openly admitted to me that they were not otherwise interested in Classics. When I proposed this course, I knew my knowledge on the subject would deepen as I developed my lectures, but I did not fully appreciate how much I would learn from the process of working with students on their papers. I left the semester with an appreciation of the many ways that ideas of race have touched our lives and those of the ancients: from the similarities between Augustus and Pinochet to the treatment of soldiers from different ethnic backgrounds at Vindolanda. Likewise, in the introduction to Greek Civilization undergraduate seminar, I worked with an archaeologist colleague in my cohort to build a course centered on the question of what it meant to be “Greek.” In addition to literature and material culture that is considered more canonical, like the Iliad and the Athenian acropolis, we studied city plans and material culture from apoikiai like Cyrene and we read letters written by women in ancient Egypt preserved on papyri to better understand their engagement with Greek identity. 

         I have also worked to put my ideals into action in my service. I was one of two graduate students who were founding members of the IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Antiracism) committee. This committee, now a permanent part of our departmental structure, has begun the work of wholly reimagining the way our department–from the website to the curriculum, from admissions procedures to mentorship—in order to better align with these core principles. What makes me especially proud of the IDEA committee’s work is the how work has been put in by so many in our department. This committee was the result of a letter I spearheaded, written by the graduate students to the faculty and staff which invited them to work with us to create a more inclusive, antiracist department. The letter contained six affirmations we wanted the department to embody and sixteen suggested actions to realize those affirmations. It was signed by every single graduate student. The letter spurred the formation of the IDEA Committee, which is now a permanent part of our department. Across the various subcommittees, graduate students and faculty have worked together to tackle daunting, systemic problems.

Finally, I have personally worked on reassessing the way our department approaches mentorship and drafted new guidelines. In the summer of 2021, with the support of a RiDE (Reimagining Doctoral Education) Fellowship, I conducted a literature survey of the most up-to-date best practices for mentorship, with a special focus on IDEA principles. As a result of my work, the department has adopted more inclusive and equitable mentorship practices. 

I recognize that I have much to learn in my teaching, my service, and my scholarship. But I have made a commitment to not allowing the need for learning stand in the way of needed action.