Faculty Spotlight: Oakley
Join us as we focus the spotlight on our amazing faculty! This month we zoom in on Prof. Oakley.
Where are you from originally?
New Jersey, where I did all my degrees at Rutgers University - BA (Ancient History). MA (Classical Philology) and PhD (Classical Art and Archaeology).
What's your favorite thing about W&M?
The students and my faculty colleagues. The former keep me young, the latter help make life's vicissitudes so much easier to bear!
What did you do last summer?
I went to Greece for a month to work in the superb libraries of the American School of Classical Studies on my next book: "A Handbook of Daily Life Scenes on Attic Vases." In the past, much attention has been paid to mythological scenes on Greek vases, but there is no overview of the Daily Life scenes, which is why I am writing this new book. On the way back I stopped in Germany to help celebrate my German Professor's (Erika Simon) 90th Birthday. I also took a family trip to Gettysburg.
Do you have any hobbies or things you like to do when you're not teaching?
Exercising, playing tennis, watching sports on TV (especially the Yankees), and going to William and Mary basketball games (I have a season ticket).
If you were stranded on a desert island, what 3 books would you bring?
The Odyssey, the Bible, and John Boardman's handbooks on Greek vase-painting.
