Ancient Greek and Roman Studies Alumni and Outcomes

Amy Yarnell '05

Classics major Amy Yarnell ’05 recently finished her last qualifying exam, and is now ABD in the Classical Studies Department at Indiana University-Bloomington.

Elizabeth Tee '94

Classics major Elizabeth Tee ’94 has run her own public relations company, Troncossi Public Relations of 16 years in Bermuda.

Tam Atwood '93

Classics major Tam Atwood ’93 has worked in public television in a variety of rolls for over 20 years. He currently works as the Director of Business and Data Analytics at WGBH Educational Foundation.

Darren Poley '90

Classics major Darren Poley ’90 continued his studies earning his M.A. in Religion from The Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary and his M.S. in Library and Information Science from Drexel University. Since 1998 he has been a librarian at Falvey Memorial Library, Villanova University. He currently is the Associate Director for Research Services and Scholarly Engagement, as well as the theology, humanities & classical studies librarian. He has also been a regular faculty adjunct at Villanova from 2000 to the present, including now teaching in the Augustine and Culture Seminar Program.

Scott Morschauser '77

Classics major Scott Morschauser ’77 received his M.A. at John Hopkins University in 1980 as well as his Ph.D. in 1987 in Near Eastern Studies and Egyptology. He also received his M. Div., from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1991. Scott taught at John Hopkins from 1987-1988, Princeton Seminary in 1994, and at Rowan University from 1994 to present.

Scott is Professor of Ancient and Medieval History and has published a book entitled "Threat-Formulae in Ancient Egypt"(1994) Ed. with Ann Kort, and journal articles: "Biblical Literature and Related Studies in Honor of Samuel Iwry Published Articles" in The Journal of Biblical Literature, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, Studien zur altagyptischen Kultur, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt, Journal of Film and Religion Ordained pastor in Presbyterian Church U.S.A.

Scott was also the Pastor of Bethany Presbyterian Church, 1991-2002.

Ken Diable '68

Classics major Ken Diable ’68 received his Ph.D. in Old Testament at Drew University in 2007. He has completely retired as and ELCA pastor after 40 years but continues to teach 5 postulants at St. Francis University in PA. The subjects are Ancient Philosophy with an emphasis on the Greeks and Romans, Medieval Philosophy focusing on the Greek and Roman Philosophers.

Barry Kerchner '61

Classics major Barry Kerchner ’61 is thinking about retiring after fifty years in the legal field. Barry has held the Assistant District Attorney position in Montgomery County, PA and then Assistant US Attorney in Philadelphia. He returned to private practice in Pottstown, PA.

Today he is an attorney active on several zoning boards and not satisfied with sitting still very long has obtained his FAA license to fly as a private pilot.

John Miller, III '60

Classics major John Miller, III ’60 taught Philosophy at Radford College (1965-1966), University of Florida (1966-1969), Chapman College's Semester at Sea (Fall, 1969), North Texas State University (1970-1989), University of Pittsburgh's Semester at Sea (Fall, 1970), and St. Petersburg Jr. College and Hillsborough Community College since 1970.

Alumni

You are invited to stay connected with classmates, other alumni, the faculty, and the various activities and events in the department.

• Mailing List: Make sure we have your most current address. If you'd like to update it, please send an email to Kari Greenwalt, Academic Administrative Assistant.
• Updated Profile: Let us know what you're doing! Please share your news, including information about new jobs, new degrees, graduate school acceptances, travels, or other events.

Marketable Skills

Here are some of the most important skills you will develop as listed by our 2019 student seminar. Learn more more about future careers by visiting the Society for Classical Studies’ Careers for Classicists: Undergraduate Edition page.

1. Writing

   Classics is a writing-intensive major. A main complaint from employers is a lack of writing skills among young generations – this gives you a major advantage over other applicants.

2. Reading

   Along similar lines, in Classics you learn not just how to read (and in large quantities), but to read critically, and to identify arguments and positions within a text.

3. Research

   Classics majors learn how to conduct intensive research using both secondary and primary sources.

4. Analytical thinking

   Classics majors learn how to use different sets of evidence (including artifacts, works of art, texts and ancient literature) to analyze complex questions.

5. Critical thinking

   Classics majors learn how to think critically about big social questions, including issues like gender, identity, race/ethnicity/difference, and inequality, that are important to understanding the 21st century.

6. Interpreting the past

   Anytime we think about the future, we implicitly draw upon past examples to imagine new possibilities. Those with a deeper understanding of the past are better positioned to think about where we are going as a society. This includes:

   1. Lessons of the past
   2. Respect for other cultures and points of view
   3. Learning how stories are told: Studying how stories are told, and the different perspectives from which they can be told, helps us reflect on how we tell our own stories. Telling your own story effectively is an important interviewing skill.

7. Awareness of different disciplines and methods

   Classics is a mix of different methods, theories, and understandings, and relates to many other disciplines (Anthropology, English, History, Women’s and Gender Studies, etc.), while having its own core identity as well.

8. Grammar

   Learning ancient Greek and Latin means you have a deeper understanding of grammar as whole, including our own native language, which helps to improve writing and communication overall.

9. Roots of words

   Many modern words – especially in law, the sciences, and medicine – are based upon words from ancient Greek and Latin. Knowing these two languages gives you an advantage in any of these fields.

10. Importance of translation

    When you translate an ancient text, you move from one worldview to another, and thinking about translation helps us understand and appreciate other people. In an increasingly connected world, we are always translating, both literally – in terms of different languages – and figuratively – in terms of different people’s perspectives and way of knowing.