Department of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies,
Pennsylvania State University
Teaching at PSU
At Penn State, I teach courses spanning ancient Egyptian history, civilization, language, and mythology—from pharaonic Egypt and hieroglyphic translation to Near Eastern myth, biblical-Egyptian connections, and antiquity's afterlife in film. My teaching combines primary sources, archaeology, and cultural analysis to illuminate Egypt's enduring legacy across three millennia and into modern imagination.
Explore Ancient Egypt from its prehistoric origins to Ptolemaic rule – monarchy, writing, religion, and empire – through primary sources and archaeological evidence, tracing its connections with Mycenaeans, Hittites, Nubians, and Persians.
Survey Ancient Near Eastern and Egyptian mythology – Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Hittite-Hurrian, and Ugaritic traditions – from creation myths to epics of gods and heroes, tracing their lasting influence on Greek, Roman, and Biblical narratives and modern culture.
Journey through 3,000 years of Egyptian history – from pyramid-building pharaohs to Ptolemaic queens. Explore dynasties, conquests, and collapses through ancient texts and archaeology, and discover why this civilization still captivates our modern imagination, from Hollywood to video games.
Explore how cinema reimagines antiquity – from Gods of Egypt to Gladiator, Troy to The Prince of Egypt. Analyze twelve epic films alongside their ancient sources, examining historical accuracy, cultural bias, and Hollywood's enduring fascination with the ancient world.
Learn to read hieroglyphs from scratch. This introductory course covers Middle Egyptian script, vocabulary, and grammar, building skills in translation and textual analysis—no prior knowledge of ancient Egyptian required.
Explore Egypt's imprint on the Hebrew Bible—from the Exodus and Joseph narratives to shared wisdom literature, iconography, and scribal practices—tracing cultural exchange between ancient Egypt and Israel/Judah.
Teaching at UChicago
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Follow ancient Egypt's expedition leaders, soldiers, traders, diplomats, fugitives, and pilgrims on their journeys. Explore transport, hazards, and safety measures through texts and archaeology, and how travel shaped Egyptian identity.
Explore Late Bronze Age diplomacy through the Amarna Letters – gift exchange, royal marriages, treaties, and rivalries between Egypt and its Near Eastern neighbors – and compare ancient statecraft with modern international relations.
Two advanced Egyptian language courses: Introduction to Late Egyptian and Introduction to Hieratic – training students to read primary sources in their original hands.