We are delighted to congratulate the Classics Majors of the Class of 2024!
Karyn Bartosic
A Fall 2023 graduate, Karyn is a Classical Civilization major with a certificate in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies, and has earned Departmental Honors with her thesis, entitled "Stepmothers: The Enemy Within: An Exploration of the Hostile Stepmothers in Euripides." Karyn has served as a research assistant in the Classics department and was awarded the Charles Lesser Award by the Frederick Honors College. Karyn says that their time in the department has expanded their horizons and allowed them to study Classics and its intersections with their other studies, such as Philosophy and Russian Studies, helping them grow as a person and researcher. This summer, Karyn will be working at the Lechaion Harbor and Settlement Land Project, as well as traveling in Europe. Afterward, Karyn plans to apply to graduate schools while working as a ski instructor at Lake Tahoe. Congratulations, Karyn!
Haiden Edminson
A Spring 2024 graduate, Haiden is a Classical Languages and Psychology major and has earned Departmental Honors with his thesis, entitled “The Dichotomy of Dionysos: Dionysian Myths as an Interpretive Lens for Understanding Psychosis in Ancient Greek Culture.” A member and officer of Eta Sigma Phi Honors Society, Haiden’s most memorable experiences in the Classics department have taken place in his ancient Greek and Latin language classes (especially when poking fun at Plato, Homer, and Cicero)! He has valued how the close-knit environment of the Classics department made him feel like he had a 'home' at Pitt. Haiden plans to take a well-deserved break next year while considering applying to graduate schools. Congratulations, Haiden!
Herbert Gordon
A Spring 2024 graduate, Herb is a Classical Civilization and English Literature major, with a minor in Museum Studies, and has earned Departmental Honors with his thesis, entitled “Homer to Haring: Classical Themes in Late Twentieth Century Art.” During his time at Pitt, Herb interned with the de la Cruz Collection for the week of Miami At Basel and was awarded a Curiosity Grant by the Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences. Herb says that, for him, the Classics department has been a space where he could connect with people he would have never met otherwise, building connections founded on Classics but extending far beyond. After graduation, Herb will be attending Carnegie Mellon University’s Master’s of Art Management program. Congratulations, Herb!
Meghan Elizabeth Hannum
A Spring 2024 graduate, Meghan is a Classical Civilization major, with a minor in Ancient Greek. At Pitt, Meghan has spent time working as a Curatorial Assistant and Archival Assistant at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and has won scholarships and fellowships from both Pitt and the Archaeological Institute of America. She also was instrumental in restarting Pitt’s chapter of Eta Sigma Phi Honors Society and served as chapter president. Meghan says that her professors, classes, and friends in Classics have inspired a confidence in herself to pursue leadership opportunities, internships, and graduate school. This summer, Meghan will be returning to the Lechaion Harbor and Settlement Land Project, where she will be working as an assistant trench supervisor. This Fall, she will be attending Florida State University to pursue a Master’s degree in Classical Archaeology. Congratulations, Meghan!
Emily Hoffmayer
A Spring 2024 graduate, Emily is a Classical Civilization major, with a minor in Chemistry. During her time at Pitt, Emily has conducted research for the UPMC Pregnancy Recovery Center and presented a poster at the 2022 OUR Celebration of Research, as well as served as an undergraduate teaching assistant and learning guide for General Chemistry classes. Emily says that her degree in Classics has reminded her that college is about exploring your interests; switching her major to Classics allowed her to follow her passions and has rekindled her love of learning. Emily plans to take a gap year to further her research and work on gaining more clinical hours before attending osteopathic medical school to attain her DO. Congratulations, Emily!
Alex-Jaden Peart
A summa cum laude Spring 2024 graduate, Alex-Jaden is a Classical Language, English Writing, and International Studies major, minoring in German and Ancient Greek, with a certificate in Transatlantic Studies. Alex-Jaden has also earned a Bachelor of Philosophy in Classics with his thesis, entitled “Affective Entanglements: Shifting Attitudes Toward the Ancient Greek Body.” At Pitt, Alex-Jaden has served as the Student Worker Lead for Languages & Classics, a Latin & Ancient Greek Peer Tutor, and as Vice-President of Eta Sigma Phi Honor Society. He has received many scholarships and fellowships at Pitt and beyond, including being named by the Society for Classical Studies as a Frank M. Snowden Jr. Scholar and winning the Classical Association of New England’s Phyllis B. Katz Prize for Excellence in Undergraduate Research for his paper, “'Divina Mens': Imperial Propaganda in De Architectura 6.1,” which has been subsequently published in the New England Classical Journal. Alex-Jaden says that his experiences in the Classics department at Pitt have exemplified what the humanities are, can, and should be. After graduation, Alex-Jaden will be continuing his education at the University of Cambridge as the Society for Classical Studies’ 2024-25 Lionel Pearson Fellow, pursuing an M.Phil. in Classics, and then at Princeton University as a Centennial Fellow in the Humanities and Social Sciences, pursuing a Ph.D. in Classics. Congratulations, Alex-Jaden!
Mark Santora
A Summer 2024 graduate, Mark is a Classical Civilization and Biology major and has served as an undergraduate teaching assistant for Biology. One of Mark’s most memorable experiences in the Classics department has included being a part of the winning team in the debate to determine the best Roman general in Dr. Cannon’s Warfare in the Ancient Mediterranean class. (Team Scipio!) He says that pursuing a Classics major has allowed him to meet some of his closest friends and to fall in love with his courses studying the ancient world. Mark plans to take a gap year, teaching high school or working at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, before pursuing graduate school with a focus on ancient mythology. Congratulations, Mark!
Abigail Stubenbort
A Spring 2024 graduate, Abigail is double majoring in Classical Civilization and Chemistry, with a certificate in Conceptual Foundations of Medicine. A member of Eta Sigma Phi Honors Society, Abigail has loved learning Latin and ancient Greek in a small class environment, where she says that she was encouraged not only by her professors but also by her classmates turned life-long friends. She has valued how Classics has helped her relate to authors and characters many years in the past who engage with issues we are still going through today. In the future, Abigail plans to take a gap year before applying to medical school. Congratulations, Abigail!
Anna Trimble
A Spring 2024 graduate, Anna is a Classical Civilization and Anthropology major, minoring in History. Anna has received fellowships from the Classics department, as well as a Panther Pride Award. A member of Eta Sigma Phi Honors Society and Secretary of the Mediterranean Archaeology Club, Anna has valued meeting all the amazing individuals at Pitt who share her love for Classics and have always made her feel understood, appreciated, and excited to learn more. She says that her time as a Classics major has allowed her to dive deep into the extensive world of the Classics and explore where her true interests lie. This summer, Anna will be returning to the Lechaion Harbor and Settlement Land Project, where she will be working as an assistant trench supervisor and beginning the process of applying to graduate schools for bioarchaeology. Congratulations, Anna!
Logan Truesdell
A Spring 2024 graduate, Logan is a Classical Civilization and Anthropology major, minoring in Latin, and has earned Departmental Honors with her thesis, entitled “A Matter of Life and Death: Examining Mythology and its Impact on Deathways in Ancient Mediterranean Societies.” At Pitt, Logan has served as a research assistant and undergraduate teaching assistant in the Classics Department, and, in addition to receiving fellowships from the department, was awarded a Summer Undergraduate Research Award from the Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences. Some of Logan’s most memorable experiences at Pitt are of studying in the Classics Reading Room, where the collaborative space helped her learn from her peers and professors in the department. In Fall, Logan will attend University of Aberdeen, Scotland to pursue a Master’s degree in Medieval Archaeology. Congratulations, Logan!
Jason Vetitoe
A Spring 2024 graduate, Jason is a Classical Civilization major, minoring in Mediterranean Art & Archaeology, and has earned Departmental Honors with his thesis, entitled “Defining the Hero Across Time.” Last year, Jason won a first-place Robert S. Marshall Prize in Writing for his course paper, “Bona Dea: The Good and Mysterious Goddess,” and he is one of this year’s winners of the Archival Scholar Research Award for his project, “Greco-Roman Heroes in 20th Century Comic Books.” Jason has also served as an undergraduate teaching assistant in the Classics department. He says that getting to be a UTA for Dr. Persyn’s Greco-Roman Religions class allowed him to approach scholarship and education from an angle that he never had before. He will remember the sense of community that being a Classics major brought to his college experience. In the future, Jason is considering attending graduate school, with a goal of working in education, museums, or archaeology. Congratulations, Jason!
John Volkar
A Spring 2024 graduate, John is a Classical Civilization and History major, with a certificate in Medieval & Renaissance Studies. During his time at Pitt, John has interned at the Harmony Museum, on the site of an early 19th century settlement in Butler County. During his time in the Classics department, John has valued learning about just how interconnected the ancient world was, how each culture influenced one another, and how they evolved over time. He says that his Classics major has given him a strong foundation to build upon and allowed him to learn Latin, which has helped further his interests in Roman history. John’s future plans include pursuing a Ph.D. in History. Congratulations, John!