Since we were unable to host our normal Classics Commencement Reception and the Diploma Ceremony this year, we wanted to show our appreciation to all of our 2020 graduates by recognizing their achievements at Brown on our website.  The Department conferred sixteen undergraduate degrees and four graduate degress in May 2020. 

Please join us in saying Congratulations to the Classics Department Class of 2020!

 

Bachelor Degree Recipients 

Peter Cho, A.B. Classics; Sc.B. Computer Science, Magna Cum Laude
Home: New Jersey, USA

Achievements:
Phi Beta Kappa (2020)

 

Vanessa Clements, A.B. Classics; Applied Mathematics
Home: British Columbia, Canada/Idaho, USA

Bio:
After moving from Canada to the United States in 2009, I attended middle and high school in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and spent my spare time tutoring, reading, and practicing the oboe. In 2015 I spent a summer quarter taking courses at Stanford University, leaving me with the desire to concentrate in Mathematics and Physics. By the end of the second year at Brown, however, I realized a deep affection for Classical studies and decided to pursue Classics in conjunction with the Applied Mathematics concentration on which I had been working. I am incredibly grateful for the time that I have spent at Brown University, and hope to return to continue my studies in a few years after gaining more practical experience via work and travel.

 

James Flynn, A.B. Greek & Latin; Cognitive Neuroscience (with honors) - December 2020 completion
Home: California, USA
Thesis: Withdrawal in Indian and Hellenistic Culture: The Ideal Spaces for Cultivating Detachment

Achievements:
Francis Wayland Prize in Latin: second place (2016)
Study abroad at the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome (2019)
Lucius Lyon Fund for Honors Thesis (2020)
Lafayette Sabine Foster Prize in Greek: second place (2020)
Lucious Lyon Prize in Latin: first place (2020)

Extra-Curricular Activities:
Brown Daily Herald: copy editor, staff columnist, and then opinions editor (2017-2020)
Brown Political Review: senior staff writer, and then section manager (2017-2018)
Brown Classical Journal: contributor/editor (2018-2020)
One for the World chapter at Brown: marketing chair (2018)
Brown Meditation Community: facilitator (2018-2020)

Bio:
James is a senior from San Francisco, CA. As a double concentrator in classics and in cognitive neuroscience, he is currently planning to finish his requirements by taking a ninth semester in Fall 2020. He is considering applying for a Master's in classics or ancient history, but is also considering journalism.

 

August "Alfie" Fuertes, A.B. Latin; Archaeology and the Ancient World
Home: Connecticut, USA

Achievements:
Study abroad - Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome (planned Spring 2020)

Extra-Curricular Activities:
Alpha Delta Phi (2015-2020)
Brown Classical Journal, Editor (2018-2019)

Bio:
Alfie is a classicist & archaeologist. He is particularly interested in the historical overlap of medicine and magic, as well as in the modern-day reception (and decolonization) of classics. Having worked as a collections management assistant at the Haffenreffer during his time at Brown, Alfie is now pursuing a career in the field of museum/archival work.

 

Rebecca Harless, A.B. Classics
Home: New York, USA

Achievements:
Summer Internship in Italy with La Musica Lirica
Study abroad in Dublin, Ireland, at Trinity College

Extra-Curricular Activities:
Brown University Madrigal Singers
Summer Ambassador Tour Guide
BUDS Worker

Bio:
Salve! I'm from Westchester, NY, love cats, Korean BBQ, and Latin, of course.

 

Jonathan Hess, A.B. Latin; Physics (with honors)
Home: Virginia, USA

Bio:
Jonathan is graduating with a double concentration in Classics (Latin track) and Physics. He feels  very lucky to have been able to explore his interests in both the Humanities and STEM over the past four years. In Classics, he was able to go in depth in Latin literature, reading both the foundational texts as well as works he had no idea existed.  Jonathan’s experiences in those classes are ones he’ll never forget, and he is forever grateful for all the work his professors, TAs, and fellow students have put in to make these four years so extraordinary.

 

Shawn Kant, A.B. Classics; Neuroscience, Magna Cum Laude
Home: New Jersey, USA

Achievements:
PLME Summer Research Assistantship (2017)
Scientific Paper Publication (2018)
Phi Beta Kappa (2020)
Sigma Xi (2020)

Extra-Curricular Activities:
BCJ contributor/editor (2017-2020)
Neuroscience research (Alzheimer's Disease) (2017-2020)
Brown Brain Bee (2017-2018)
Technology House Vice President (2019-2020)
Youth Movement Against Alzheimer's Disease (2020)

Bio:
Shawn is a Neuroscience-Classics dual concentrator from New Jersey. In the Fall he will be attending Medical School at Brown as he moves into the next phase of the PLME. His interests in Classics include Roman history and Latin Literature, and he has studied Latin authors ranging from the early Republic through late antiquity and the early Middle Ages. While at Brown, Shawn has also worked on various research projects pertaining to Alzheimer's Disease with a neuropathologist at Rhode Island Hospital.

 

Jae Kim, A.B. Latin; Economics (with honors)
Home: United Kingdom

Extra-Curricular Activities:
Social Chair of Vietnamese Students Association(2018)
Brown Men's Rugby Team Captain (2018)
Brown Men's Rugby Team President (2019)

Bio:
Jae studied Classics and Economics. He was also Captain and President of the Brown Men's Rugby Team and served as Social Chair of the Vietnamese Students Association. He will begin working in Finance in New York this summer. Jae's favorite classical author is Horace.

 

Cameron Kinder, A.B. Classics
Home: Connecticut, USA

 

 

 

 

 

 

Victoria Robinson Lansing, A.B. Latin; Archaeology and the Ancient World (with honors), Magna Cum Laude
Home: Illinois, USA
Thesis: Bearing Up: Horatian Allusions in the Consolation of Philosophy

Achievements:
Phi Beta Kappa (2020)
The James Aldrich Pirce Prize (2020)
The Workman-Driscoll Premium (2020)

Extra-Curricular Activities:
Brown Figure Skating Team: Captain (2017-2020)
Brown Classical Journal: Editor in Chief (2018-2019, 2019-2020)

Bio:
Victoria Lansing is a Classics (Latin) and Classical Archaeology Concentrator. She will pursue an MPhil in Latin next year at Oxford.

 

JP Mayer, A.B. Latin; Literary Arts (with honors), Magna Cum Laude
Home: Massachusetts, USA

Achievements:
Joukowsky Institute Archaeology Paper Prize, 1st Place (2017)
UTRA Recipient (2018)
Keith and Rosmarie Waldrop Prize for Innovative Writing (2020)

Extra-Curricular Activities:
Varsity Fencing (2016-2017)
Brown Classical Journal (2017-2020)

Bio:
JP graduated from Brown with a degree in Classics (Latin track) and Literary Arts. In the fall, he's moving to Colorado to pursue an MFA in fiction at CU Boulder, where he will also teach creative writing to undergrads. Once, JP wrote a short story about Paul Giamatti, and he won a litarts award. A couple of times, JP wrote things for the Brown Classical Journal. Most of the time, JP hung out with his friends at the bookstore/bar Riffraff in Olneyville, which is his favorite place in the world. He will miss those times a lot.  JP’s favorite classical author is Euripides.

 

Dean Milkey, A.B. Classics
Home: New York, USA

 

Sylvia E. Nacar, A.B. Greek & Latin (with honors); Mathematics, Magna Cum Laude
Home: Rhode Island, USA
Thesis: New And Old Allegiances On Display: Law, Religion, Oath And Civic Participation In The Hellenistic Polis

Achievements:
The Albert Arnold Bennett, Class of 1872 Prize (2020)
The Minnie Helen Hicks Prize in Classical Appreciation (2020)
Sigma Xi (2020)

Extra-Curricular Activities:
Brown Tang Soo Do (2016-2020)
Mathematics DUG (2017-2020)

Bio:
Before coming to Brown, Sylvia's paideia was conducted at home by her father with emphases on history and classical literature, math, Greek and Latin. At Brown she concentrated in Classics and Mathematics, ran the Math DUG for two years, trained with Brown Tang Soo Do, learned to swing dance, and more. This year she wrote her thesis "New and Old Allegiances on Display," a study of inscribed oaths relating to citizenship in Hellenistic Greece, under the supervision of Professor Graham Oliver. After graduation, she looks forward to beginning work as a paralegal and continuing to read ancient literature, while rediscovering hobbies of gardening, bookbinding, sewing and historical costuming.

 

Dalena Nguyen, A.B. Latin; Education Studies (Human Development Track)
Home: Massachusetts, USA

Achievements:
The President Francis Wayland Prize in Latin, 1st place (2016)
The Lucius Lyon Prize in Latin (2020)

Extra-Curricular Activities:
Massachusetts Senior Classical League (2016-2020; President: 2017-2018)
Brown-RISD Vietnamese Student Association, Family Chair (2018- 2019)

Bio:
Dalena is a concentrator in both the Classics and Education Studies department. As an undergraduate at Brown University, she was involved in the Vietnamese Student Association. Dalena has continued to be involved with her Classics community by serving as an executive board officer in the Massachusetts Senior Classical League. Prior to her involvement in the Senior Classical League, Dalena was an executive board member in its high school version (the Senior Classical League). She hopes to become a high school Latin teacher and give back to the community that cultivated her love for classics and teaching. Her favorite non-translation course that she took in this department is The Idea of Self with Professor Pucci while her favorite translation course is Vergil: Eclogues and Georgics with Professor Reed. One of Dalena’s favorite Latin quotations of all time comes from Vergil’s Aeneid: “Tu ne cede malis, sed contra audentior ito.”

 

John David O’Donnell, A.B. Latin; Economics, Magna Cum Laude
Home: Massachusetts, USA

Achievements:
Phi Beta Kappa (2020)

Extra-Curricular Activities:
Brown University Gilbert and Sullivan  (2016-1019)
ARRR!!! A Capella (2016-2020)
Bruin Club Tour Guide (2017-2020)

Bio:
Jack double concentrated in Classics (Latin track) and Economics. Outside of academics, he enjoyed participating in theater and a capella at Brown, as well as serving as a campus tour guide. He plans to start as a Business Analyst for Wayfair in Boston during the fall.

 

Zane Yu, A.B. Classics; Biology
Home: Rhode Island, USA

Bio:
Zane concentrated in Biology and Classics over the past four years, and will be starting at the Alpert Medical School in the fall. He initially pursued this concentration out of a growing interest in the impact that Classics has on Western literature, art, and culture. Zane has come out of it with an even greater appreciation for ancient works and history -- Classics has and will always play a role in the field of medicine, and he will be proud to continue that tradition.

 

Masters and Doctoral Degree Recipients 

Justin Byrd, A.M. Classics
Advisor(s): Jim Fitzgerald, David Buchta

Bio:
Justin graduated from the University of Florida in 2010 with a BA in Classics and Religion. He is the inaugural student in the Sanskrit Language and Literature track. His interests center on the Sanskrit Mahābhārata, with special attention to its narrative and the manner of its reception in later Sanskrit texts. He’s also explored an interest in the Mahābhārata’s philosophical and didactic material.

 

Gaia Gianni, Ph.D., Classics
Home: Italy
Dissertation: Fictive Kinship and Roman Childhood: A Social History
Dissertation Advisor: John Bodel

Bio:
Gaia was born in Siena, Italy. After obtaining a BA and MA from the Università degli Studi di Siena, she moved to the US to attend the PhD graduate program at Brown University. Gaia worked with her advisor, John Bodel, since her first year, attending the epigraphy graduate seminar and taking part in a three-week workshop in Greece in May 2015. Following her interest in epigraphy, Gaia wrote a dissertation titled “Fictive Kinship and Roman Childhood: A Social History”, which explores topic of fictive kinship – defined as a deep, personal connection between two or more individuals which is not biologically or legally sanctioned – in relation to children. This research project mainly relies anthropological theory on the identity and evolution of the family, recent research on the Roman family, and epigraphic evidence. Gaia also presented her work in several local and national conferences, such as the annual meetings of the Society of Classical studies, the Classical Association of Middle West and South, the Classical Association of New England, and the Northeast Modern Language Association. During her six years at Brown, Gaia’s greatest passion has been teaching her students about the ancient world.

 

Trigg Settle, A.M., Classics
Thesis: Trauma and The Interpretation of Tragedy
Thesis Advisor: Johanna Hanink

Bio:
Trigg Settle joined the Classics Department at Brown in 2012, after receiving an MA in Comparative Literature and Classics from The University of New Mexico. He specializes in Ancient Greek poetry, and his research focuses on the use of dramatic texts as literary and historical documents, their use as living scripts for theatrical performances, and inherent tensions in these different applications in the tragic tradition. Trigg’s thesis, “Trauma and The Interpretation of Tragedy,” under the direction of Johanna Hanink, explores the similarities between patterns of traumatic experience and the representation of violence in ancient Greek Tragedy, with a focus on the dynamics of witnessing and testimony that encompass discourses of trauma and its complex temporality, and how the ancient theater is uniquely suited to convey the elusive emotional impact of the types of extreme experiences commonly associated with both trauma and tragedy.

 

Erika Valdivieso, Ph.D., Classics
Home: Michigan, USA
Dissertation: Virgilian Imitatio in Colonial Latin America
Dissertation Advisor: Andrew Laird

Achievements:
Presidential Fellowship (2014-2017)
Brown in the World Travel Grant, Cogut Institute for the Humanities (2017)
J.M. Stuart Fellowship, John Carter Brown Library (2018-2019)
Global Mobility Fellowship (2019)
Joukowsky Outstanding Dissertation Prize (2020)

Bio:
Erika Valdivieso began her doctoral work at Brown in 2014 with a Presidential Fellowship.  She was a visiting student at the University of Salamanca and the University of Cambridge. After holding the J. M. Stuart Fellowship at the John Carter Brown Library, she spent a summer as a visiting researcher at the Facultad de Estudios Clásicos (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México) and at the Biblioteca Brasiliana (Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil). Her dissertation, Virgilian Imitatio in Colonial Latin America, received the Joukowsky Outstanding Dissertation Prize for the Humanities. Erika will join the Department of Classics at Princeton University as a Presidential Postdoctoral Research Fellow.