Meet Our Students

Madeline Baird received their B.A. in Classical Studies from Iowa State University in 2023 with minors in History, Anthropology, and Women & Gender Studies. They received a M.A. from New York University in Museum Studies in 2025. Their master’s thesis, “The Altars of Auchendavy: Ancient Voices in the Modern Museum,” explored the relationship between Roman imperialism along the Antonine Wall, religious materiality, and the role of the museum as historic agent. Their main research interests lie in material culture, religion, emotion, and reception. Using queer theories and feminist frameworks to examine material and literary culture in tandem, they look to take an interdisciplinary approach to the people, places, and things of the ancient world.

 Jess Colvin received her B.A. in Classical Studies and B.S. in Biology cum laude from Virginia Tech in 2021. Her senior thesis explored ancient epidemiology and perceptions of diseases from classical texts. Post graduation, she worked as a Biologist for an in vitro toxicology laboratory researching and implementing new approach methodologies for non-animal testing. As of the fall of 2024, she is a Classical Studies Post Baccalaureate student at the College of William and Mary. She is excited to study Mediterranean archaeology, material culture, and horticultural spaces.

 Alex Dietrich graduated from William and Mary with a B.A. in history. He hopes to teach Latin and classical civilizations (especially in the Near East) and is currently aiming to get an M.A. in classical studies with an emphasis on history. His primary research interests are the socio-political developments in the Ancient Near East during the late Roman and early Byzantine periods,  as well as language and culture in Palmyra and Syria during the Roman era.

 Katie Powell received a BA in History from Christopher Newport University in 2023. Her main interest throughout her time in undergrad was ancient history, specifically the Civilization of Rome. Katie wishes to continue research further into the social histories of freedmen and slaves, alongside lower-class women and their elite counter parts. Her main interest is to find out how the Romans, who were often ignored by ancient authors, lived. She does this through examining archaeological evidence and legal documents to provide more inclusive histories of Roman society. She also really enjoys researching how Roman provincials navigated new legal systems under the Roman Empire. Katie’s main goal for the Post-Bacc Program is to gain further experience with Latin and Greek in order to pursue a MA/ PhD in Ancient Mediterranean Studies.

Shelby Woodward graduated from William & Mary in May 2025 with a B.A. in Classical Studies (Ancient Mediterranean Culture and History Concentration). Her primary research interests include underrepresented women in Ancient Roman literature – from enslaved women and sex workers to Vestal Virgins, she seeks through her studies to grant a voice to those whose lived experiences often go untold or unexamined. Following the completion of the post-baccalaureate program, Shelby aims to earn a PhD in Classical Literature and/or Philology.