Sheila Dillon
Anne Murnick Cogan Distinguished Professor of Art and Art History
Sheila Dillon received a Ph.D. in Classical Art and Archaeology from the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University. She teaches courses on Greek and Graeco-Roman art and archaeology. Her research interests focus on portraiture and public sculpture and on reconstructing the statuary landscape of ancient cities and sanctuaries. Her books include The Female Portrait Statue in the Greek World (2010); Ancient Greek Portrait Sculpture: Contexts, Subjects, and Styles (2006), which was awarded the James R. Wiseman Book Award from the Archaeological Institute of America in January 2008; Roman Portrait Statuary from Aphrodisias (2006); and an edited volume A Companion to Women in the Ancient World (2012). Professor Dillon was a member of the Aphrodisias Excavations in Turkey from 1992-2004, has worked at the Sanctuary of the Great Gods on the island of Samothrace, and now spends summers doing fieldwork in Athens. Her current research includes a collaborative project to publish the portrait sculpture from the Excavations in the Athenian Agora with a group of current and former students, and a digital mapping project of the history of the archaeological excavations in the Agora, a collaborative endeavor centered in the Wired! Lab that involves undergraduate and graduate students at Duke. Professor Dillon was the Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Archaeology from 2013-2016.
Office Hours
Current Appointments & Affiliations
- Anne Murnick Cogan Distinguished Professor of Art and Art History, Art, Art History & Visual Studies, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences 2021
- Professor of Art, Art History and Visual Studies, Art, Art History & Visual Studies, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences 2013
Contact Information
- 114 S Buchanan Blvd, Smith Warehouse, Bay 10, A261, Durham, NC 27708-0766
- Box 90766, Smith Warehouse, Bay 10, A261, Durham, NC 27708-0766
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sheila.dillon@duke.edu
(919) 684-6082
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Curriculum Vitae
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Wired! Digital Art History & Visual Culture
- Background
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Education, Training, & Certifications
- Ph.D., New York University 1994
- M.A., New York University 1989
- B.A., Rutgers University New Brunswick 1987
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Previous Appointments & Affiliations
- Director of Undergraduate Studies of the Department of Art, Art History & Visual Studies, Art, Art History & Visual Studies, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences 2021 - 2022
- Chair of Art, Art History & Visual Studies, Art, Art History & Visual Studies, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences 2018 - 2021
- Professor in the Department of Classical Studies, Classical Studies, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences 2015 - 2020
- Chair of the Department of Art, Art History & Visual Studies, Art, Art History & Visual Studies, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences 2014 - 2017
- Associate Professor of Classical Studies, Classical Studies, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences 2007 - 2015
- Associate Professor of Art, Art History and Visual Studies, Art, Art History & Visual Studies, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences 2007 - 2013
- Director of Undergraduate Studies, Art, Art History & Visual Studies, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences 2010 - 2013
- Andrew W. Mellon Assistant Professor, Art, Art History & Visual Studies, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences 2006 - 2007
- Assistant Professor of Art and Art History, Art, Art History & Visual Studies, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences 2000 - 2007
- Assistant Professor of Classical Studies, Classical Studies, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences 2000 - 2007
- Recognition
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In the News
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JUN 28, 2021 -
SEP 16, 2014
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Awards & Honors
- Expertise
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Subject Headings
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Global Scholarship
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Research
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- Research
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External Relationships
- Columbia University
- Publications & Artistic Works
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Selected Publications
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Books
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Dillon, S., and S. L. James, eds. Women in the Classical World: Critical Concepts in Classical Studies. Routledge, 2017.
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Dillon, S., and S. L. James, eds. Women in the Classical World: Critical Concepts in Classical Studies. Routledge, 2017.
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James, S. L., and S. Dillon. A Companion to Women in the Ancient World, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781444355024.Full Text
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Antonaccio, C. M., and S. Dillon, eds. The Past is Present: The Kempner Collection of Classical Antiquities at the Nasher Museum. Duke University Press Books, 2011.
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Dillon, S. The Female Portrait Statue in the Greek World (paperback), 2011.
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Dillon, S. The Female Portrait Statue in the Greek World. Cambridge University Press, 2010.
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Dillon, S., and K. Welch. Representations of War in Ancient Rome (paperback). Cambridge University Press, 2009.
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Dillon, S., R. R. R. Smith, C. H. Hallett, J. Lenaghan, and J Van Voorhis. Roman Portrait Statuary from Aphrodisias. Philipp von Zabern, Mainz Germany, 2006.
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Dillon, S. Ancient Greek Portrait Sculpture: Contexts, Subjects, and Styles. Cambridge University Press, 2006.
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Dillon, S., and K. Welch. Representations of War in Ancient Rome. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006.
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Dillon, Sheila. ANCIENT GREEK PORTRAIT SCULPTURE Contexts, Subjects, and Styles CONCLUSIONS, 2006.Link to Item
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Academic Articles
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Dillon, Sheila. “C. MURER, STADTRAUM UND BÜRGERIN: AUFSTELLUNGSORTE KAISERZEITLICHER EHRENSTATUEN IN ITALIEN UND NORDAFRIKA (Urban Spaces 5). Berlin: De Gruyter, 2017. Pp. viii + 302, illus. isbn9783110407563. £109.00/€119.95/US$137.99.” Journal of Roman Studies 109 (November 2019): 332–33. https://doi.org/10.1017/s007543581900008x.Full Text
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Dillon, Sheila. “A new catalogue series on the sculptures of Berlin's Staatliche Museen: vol. 1. Portraits - ANDREAS SCHOLL (für die Antikensammlung der Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin herausgegeben von), bearbeitet von A. Alexandridis, M. Bergmann, J. Beutler, C. Blume, R. Bol, A. Fendt, H. R. Goette, V. Goldbeck, S.-G. Gröschel, R. Grüßinger, K. Hallof, H. Heres, M. R. Hofter, T. Kleinschmidt, R. Krummeich, I. Laube, A. Ludwig, S. Mägele, J. Mätzchker, M. Maisch-berger, U. Papadopoulos. D. Piekarski, G. Platz-Horster, B. Rabe, L. Sack, M. Schmidt, C. Schreiter, T. Schröder, K. Stemmer, M. Tabaczek, R. von den Hoff, L. Winkler-Horaček, KATALOG DER SKULPTUREN IN DER ANTIKENSAMMLUNG DER STAATLICHEN MUSEEN ZU BERLIN. BAND I – GRIECHISCHE UND RÖMISCHE BILDNISSE (Antikensammlung, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin; Michael Imhof Verlag, Petersberg2016). S. xii + 435, 943 ills. mostly in colour. ISBN 978-3-7319-0387-1. EUR 79.” Journal of Roman Archaeology 31 (2018): 665–68. https://doi.org/10.1017/s104775941800171x.Full Text
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Dillon, S., and E. Baltes. “Honorific Practices and the Politics of Space on Hellenistic Delos: Portrait Statue Monuments Along the Dromos.” American Journal of Archaeology 117, no. 2 (April 1, 2013): 207–46.Open Access Copy
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Sheila Dillon, T. M. “Subject selection and viewer reception of Greek portraits from Herculaneum and Tivoli.” Journal of Roman Archaeology 13 (October 2000): 21–40.Open Access Copy
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Sheila Dillon, Edward. “Figured Pilaster Capitals from Aphrodisias in Caria.” American Journal of Archaeology 1997, no. 101 (October 1997): 731–69.Link to Item
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Sheila Dillon, R. J. “The portraits of a civic benefactor of 2nd-c. Ephesos.” Journal of Roman Archaeology 9 (October 1996): 261–74.Open Access Copy
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Book Sections
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Dillon, S. “Approaches to the Study of Greek Sculpture.” In The Diversity of Classical Archaeology, edited by R. Raja and A. Lichtenberger, 1:223–34. Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols Publishers, 2017.
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Dillon, S. “Approaches to the Study of Greek Sculpture.” In The Diversity of Classical Archaeology, edited by R. Raja and A. Lichtenberger, 1:223–34. Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols Publishers, 2017.
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Dillon, S., and T. D. Shea. “Statues as Artifacts: Towards an Archaeology of Greek Sculpture.” In Greek Art in Context, edited by D. R. Perez, 19–29. Routledge, 2017.Open Access Copy
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Dillon, S. “Portrait Statues of Women on the Island of Delos.” In Women and the Roman City in the Latin West, edited by E. Hemelrijk and G. Woolf, 201–23. Brill, 2013.
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Dillon, S. “Female Portraiture in the Hellenistic Period.” In A Companion to Women in the Ancient World, 263–77, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781444355024.ch19.Full Text
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Dillon, S. “Hellenistic Tanagra Figurines.” In A Companion to Women in the Ancient World, edited by S. L. James and S. Dillon, 231–34. Wiley-Blackwell, 2012.
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Dillon, S. “Hellenistic Tanagra Figurines.” In A Companion to Women in the Ancient World, edited by S. L. James and S. Dillon, 231–34. Wiley-Blackwell, 2012.
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Dillon, S. “Marble Votive Statuettes of Women from the Sanctuary of the Great Gods on Samothrace.” In Samothracian Connections: Essays in Honor of James R. McCredie, edited by B. Wescoat and O. Palagia, 165–72. Oxbow, 2010.
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Dillon, S. “Portraits of Women in the early Hellenistic Period.” In Early Hellenistic Portraiture: Image, Style, Context, edited by Ralf von den Hoff and Peter Schultz, 63–83. Cambridge University Press, 2007.
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Dillon, S. “Women on the Columns of Trajan and Marcus and the Visual Language of Roman Victory.” In Representations of War in Ancient Rome, edited by S. Dillon and K. Welch, 244–71. Cambridge University Press, 2006.
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Dillon, S. “Honorific Portraiture (Accepted).” In Handbook of Greek Sculpture, edited by O. Palagia. DeGruyter, n.d.
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Dillon, S. “Terracotta Figurines (Accepted).” In Samothrace; Excavations Conducted by the Institute of Fine Arts of New York University: Vol. 9, The Monuments of the Eastern Hill, edited by B. D. Wescot, Vol. 9. American School of Classical Studies at Athens, n.d.
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Dillon, S. “Portrait Statuary in Roman Athens: reconsidering the material from the Athenian Agora (In preparation).” In What’s New in Roman Greece, n.d.
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Dillon, S. “Portrait Statuary in Roman Athens: reconsidering the material from the Athenian Agora (In preparation).” In What’s New in Roman Greece, n.d.
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Other Articles
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Dillon, S. “Portraits and Portraiture.” Edited by Michael Gagarin. Oxford University Press, 2010.
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Dillon, S. “Portraiture, Greece and Rome.” Edited by R. Bagnall, K. Brodersen, C. Champion, and S. H. Andrew Erskine. The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece and Rome. Oxford University Press, 2009.
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Dillon, S. “’Nike of Samothrace,’ ’Pergamum Altar,’ and ’Polyeuktos: Portrait of Demosthenes’.” Edited by A. Bostrom. Encyclopedia of Sculpture. New York: Fitzroy Dearborn, 2004.
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Book Reviews
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Dillon, S. “Review of 'Depicting the Dead: Self-Representation and Commemoration on Roman Sarcophagi with Portraits' by S. Birk (Aarhus University Press, 2013).” Latomus: Revue D’Études Latines. Brussels, 2016.
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Dillon, S. “Review of 'The Oxford Handbook of Roman Sculpture', E.A. Friedland, M. Grunow Sobocinski, and E.K. Gazda, eds. (Oxford University Press, 2015).” Bryn Mawr Classical Review. Bryn Mawr Commentaries, 2015.Link to Item
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Dillon, S. “Review of 'The Emergence of the Classical Style in Greek Sculpture' by R. Neer.” Art Bulletin, March 2012.Link to Item
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Dillon, S. “Review of 'Roman Portraits in Context' by J. Fefjer.” Caa on Line Reviews, December 13, 2011.Link to Item
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Dillon, S. “Review of 'Art in the Era of Alexander the Great' by A. Cohen.” American Journal of Archaeology on Line Reviews, October 2011.Link to Item
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Dillon, S. “Review of 'Marmorskulpturen der römischen Kaiserzeit aus Milet: Aufstellungskontext und programmatische Aussage. Funde aus Milet, 5,2'.by R. Bol (Berlin, New York: De Gruyter, 2011).” Journal of Roman Archaeology, 2011.
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Dillon, S. “Review of 'Role Models in Roman Art' by I.S. Hansen and S. Bell.” Journal of Roman Archaeology, 2010.
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Dillon, S. “Review of 'Die griechischen Porträts. Antike Repräsentation – Moderne Projection' by O. Jaeggi.” Bonner Jahrbuecher, 2009.
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Dillon, S. “Review of 'Anonyme griechische Porträts des 4.Jhs v.Chr' by D. Piekarski (Rahden/Westf. 2004).” Gnomon, 2008.
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Dillon, S. “Review of 'Greek Sculpture: Function, Materials and Techniques in the Archaic and Classical Periods' edited by O. Palagia (Cambridge, 2006).” Classical Review. Cambridge University Press, 2007. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0009840X07001242.Full Text Open Access Copy Link to Item
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Dillon, S. “Review of 'Greek Sculpture and the Problem of Description' by A.A. Donohue (Cambridge, 2005).” Art Bulletin, 2007.Open Access Copy Link to Item
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Dillon, S. “Review of 'Antichi Volti della Repubblica. La Ritrattistica in Italia Centrale Tra IV E II Secolo' by M. Papini.” Journal of Roman Archaeology, 2007.
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Dillon, S. “Review of 'Relief Sculpture of the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus' by BF Cook (Oxford 2005).” Classical Review, 2006.Open Access Copy
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Dillon, S. “Review of 'Aphrodite's Tortoise: The Veiled Woman of Ancient Greece' by L. Llewellyn-Jones (Swansca, 2003).” Classical Review. Cambridge University Press, 2005. https://doi.org/10.1093/clrevj/bni371.Full Text Open Access Copy Link to Item
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Dillon, S. “Review of 'Bildnisse griechischer Herrscher und Staatsmänner im 5. Jahrhundert v.Chr.' by Ralf Krumeich (Munich, 1997).” Bryn Mawr Classical Review, October 10, 2001.
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Dillon, S. “'Imaging Julio-Claudian Women' review of 'Imperial Women: A Study in Public Images 40 B.C.-A.D. 46' by Susan Wood (Mnemosyne no. 194, Brill, 1999).” Journal of Roman Archaeology, 2001.
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Dillon, Sheila, and Elizabeth Bartman. “Portraits of Livia: Imagining the Imperial Woman of Augustan Rome.” The Classical World. JSTOR, 1999. https://doi.org/10.2307/4352381.Full Text
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Dillon, S. “'Repetition and variation in ancient art’ review of 'Classical Bronzes: The Art and Craft of Greek and Roman Statuary' by Carol Mattusch.” Journal of Roman Archaeology, 1997.
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Dillon, S. “Review of 'The Fire of Hephaistos" by Carol C. Mattusch (Cambridge, MA 1996).” American Journal of Archaeology, 1997.
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Dillon, S. “Review of J. Griesbach, ed., Polis und Porträt. Standbilder als Medien der öffentlichen Repräsentation im hellenistischer Osten.” Sehepunkte : Rezensionsjournal Für Geschichtswissenschaften. Herder-Institut, Institut für Zeitgeschichte, n.d.Link to Item
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Dillon, S. “Review of V. Jeammet (ed.), Tanagras: Figurines for Life and Eternity.” Bryn Mawr Classical Review. Bryn Mawr College, n.d.Link to Item
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- Teaching & Mentoring
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Recent Courses
- ARTHIST 495S: Honors Thesis Workshop 2022
- ARTHIST 725S: Women in Antiquity: An Intensive Methodological Introduction 2022
- ARTSVIS 495S: Honors Thesis Workshop 2022
- CLST 725S: Women in Antiquity: An Intensive Methodological Introduction 2022
- VMS 495S: Honors Thesis Workshop 2022
- ARTHIST 495S: Honors Thesis Workshop 2021
- ARTHIST 502S: Greek Art: Hellenistic to Roman 2021
- ARTHIST 723S: Grant Writing and Prospectus 2021
- ARTSVIS 495S: Honors Thesis Workshop 2021
- CLST 542S: Greek Art: Hellenistic to Roman 2021
- VMS 495S: Honors Thesis Workshop 2021
- Scholarly, Clinical, & Service Activities
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Presentations & Appearances
- Crossing the Corrupting Sea: Women on the Move in the Ancient Mediterranean. Women in the Ancient Mediterranean World Lecture Series 2015-2016, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky. Sponsored by the Kentucky Society of the Archaeological Institute of America and the University of Louisville Liberal Studies Project . November 12, 2015 2015
- Portrait Statuary in Roman Athens: reconsidering the material from the Athenian Agora. What’s New in Roman Greece conference, Roman Seminar and Institute of Historical Research, Athens Greece. October 8, 2015 - October 10, 2015 2015
- Roman Portrait Statuary in Athens. Symposium in Memory of Professor Evelyn B. Harrison, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University. May 10, 2014 2014
- Statues as Artifacts: Towards an Archaeology of Greek Sculpture . Greek Art in Context conference, University of Edinburgh. April 7, 2014 2014
- Face Veils, Fine Fabrics & Female Visibility: Reading Female Fashion in Hellenistic Art, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. October 25, 2012 2012
- Female Clothing on Greek and Roman Statuary, Centre for Textile Research, University of Copenhagen. May 1, 2012 2012
- Portraits of Women on the Island of Delos, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. December 14, 2011 2011
- Votive Sculpture from Samothrace: Moving Beyond the Winged Victory, Archaeological Institute of America, Richmond Virginia Society. March 11, 2011 2011
- Elite Women as a status-defined group in the portrait monuments of Delos, Institute of Classical Studies, University of London, England. March 3, 2011 2011
- Portrait Statue Monuments along the Delian Dromos, Oxford University, Department of Classics. March 2, 2011 2011
- Portrait Statue Monuments along the Dromos at Delos: Sculptors, Patrons, Subjects, and Space, Annual Meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America, San Antonio TX. January 7, 2011 2011
- Wired! New Representational Technologies for Historical Materials, CHAT Festival, UNC-Chapel Hill. February 17, 2010 2010
- The Samothracian "Green Girls" and the chronology of Tanagra figurines, Annual Meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America, Philadelphia PA. December 31, 2009 2009
- Portraits and Politics: Honoring Generals in the Athenian Agora, Archaeological Institute of American Annual Meeting, Chicago. December 14, 2008 2008
- Finding the Female Portrait in Greek Art, Wofford College, Spartanburg SC. November 13, 2008 2008
- The “flâneuse” and the face-veil: out and about in the Hellenistic city, Fifth Feminism and Classics Conference, University of Michigan Ann Arbor. May 10, 2008 2008
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Outreach & Engaged Scholarship
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Service to the Profession
- Editor in Chief : American Journal of Archaeology. 2013 - 2016 2013 - 2016
- Reviewer of Proposal “La vie des portraits grecs/Das Leben griechischer Porträts,” a three-year collaborative French and German research project : L'Agence nationale de la recherché/French National Research Agency/ Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. July 2011 - July 2012 2011 - 2012
- Fellowship Committee, Art History : Kress Foundation. 2010 2010
- Admissions and Fellowships Committee, American School of Classical Studies. 2009 - 2013 2009 - 2013
- Board of Directors, The American Research Institute in Turkey. 2009 - 2011 2009 - 2011
- Committee on Admissions and Fellowships : American School of Classical Studies at Athens. 2009 - 2012 2009 - 2012
- Fulbright National Screening Committee, Turkey/Cyprus/Greece. 2009 - 2012 2009 - 2012
- Fellowships Committee on Archaeology : American Research Insitute in Turkey. December 6, 2008 2008
- Cambridge University Press, external reviewer. 2008 2008
- Program Committee for the Annual Meeting, Archaeological Institute of America. 2008 - 2010 2008 - 2010
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Service to Duke
- Imagining Duke Curriculum. 2014 - 2017 2014 - 2017
- Wired! Lab for Visualizing the Past Executive Committee. January 8, 2012 2012
- Director of Undergraduate Studies. December 20, 2010 - July 1, 2013 2010 - 2013
- Executive Committee of the Graduate Faculty. November 19, 2010 - July 1, 2012 2010 - 2012
- Director of Graduate Studies. December 31, 2009 - July 1, 2010 2009 - 2010
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