Robert Groves

Dr. Rob Groves is an Associate Professor of Practice and has worked in the Classics program for the past ten years. He regularly works on and teaches about ancient Greek drama and modern dramatic engagement with the Classics, informed by his ongoing experience with theatrical practice as an actor, singer, director, and writer. Dr. Groves was recognized by the Society for Classical Studies with their award for Excellence in the Teaching of Classics at the College Level.

Philip Waddell

Philip Waddell is an Associate Professor of Classics, whose work in ancient historiography concerns the construction of narrative within the historical texts of Greek and Roman authors. Most recently, he published the monograph Tacitean Visual Narrative with Bloomsbury, and is currently working on a commentary for Livy’s Roman History.

Daisy Vargas

Dr. Daisy Vargas (Ph.D. in History, University of California, Riverside; M.A. in Religious Studies, University of Denver) specializes in Catholicism in the Americas; race, ethnicity, and religion in the United States; and Latina/o religion.

Kristy Slominski

Kristy Slominski (Ph.D. in Religious Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara) specializes in the interaction of religion, science, and health in U.S. history; the history of sex education in the United States; and the impact of religion on U.S. public health discourses.

Robert Stephan

Rob Stephan is an archaeologist by training and has taught in the University of Arizona’s Department of Religious Studies and Classics since 2016. Rob's research interests focus on how the material remains of the past can inform us about the economic performance of pre-modern societies. What cultural factors lead to improvements in economic well-being? How does socio-political development correlate with per capita material wealth? During the course of his studies, Rob has worked on archaeological excavations in Italy, Cyprus, Britain, Armenia, and the American Southwest.

Karen Seat

Dr. Karen Seat specializes in U.S. religious history, American evangelicalism, and gender studies. In 2012, Dr. Seat began serving as director of the Religious Studies Program, and in 2015 she was appointed head of the Department of Religious Studies and Classics. In addition, she serves as Director of the School of International Languages, Literatures, and Cultures (SILLC).

Caleb Simmons

CALEB SIMMONS is Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Classics. He has published on religion in South Asia, especially Hinduism: Devotional Sovereignty: Kingship and Religion in India, The Navarātri Festival in South Asia, and Nine Nights of the Goddess (coeditor and contributor). He is currently working on ecological issues and sacred geography in India, South Asian diaspora communities, and material and popular cultures stemming from globalization.

Courtney Friesen

COURTNEY FRIESEN is Associate Professor in the Department of Religious Studies and Classics, where he teaches Greek, the New Testament, and early Christianity. Prior to the University of Arizona, Dr. Friesen taught at Oxford. He researches intersections of Greek literature with Judaism and Christian. His book Reading Dionysus received the Lautenschläger Award from the University of Heidelberg; and a subsequent essay, “Gluttony and Drunkenness as Jewish and Christian Virtues,” earned the Achtemeier Award from Society of Biblical Literature.

Norman Austin

NORMAN AUSTIN is Professor Emeritus of Classics at the University of Arizona. With his B.A. from Toronto and his Ph.D. from UC Berkeley, he has taught Greek and Latin literature at several universities. He joined the University of Arizona in 1980. He has taught courses in epic, tragedy, and philosophy, and numerous Humanities Seminars. He has published five books on Greek literature and myth.

David Soren

DAVID SOREN is Regents Professor of Anthropology, Classics, and Art History. He is a Fellow of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He was named Honorary Italian Citizen for his contributions to Italian archaeology and Honorary Philhellene by the Greek Orthodox Church for his work in Cypriote archaeology. He has also been named a Successor Generation Scholar by Oxford University and is the 2018 winner of of the Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award from the Archaeological Institute of America.

Humanities Seminars Program

Department of Religious Studies and Classics