Dylan on his first day in the office at the School
What made you decide to take the position at ASCSA?
I was a Regular Member in 2013-2014 and a Student Associate in 2014-2015, as the Gorham Philips Stevens Fellow. During my Regular year, as is the case with most students, my eyes were opened to all of Greece—in so many different time periods, exposing me to new ways of thinking. Last year, I was able to visit sites and complete my dissertation using the facilities of the School.
In my two years before taking on my appointment as Assistant Director, I have noticed the great sense of community that one has at the ASCSA, which comes in a variety of levels, including within the School itself and the wider Classical community in Athens. But then one becomes part of the city of Athens (such as exploring new neighborhoods) and then the country of Greece itself, meeting new people and having new experiences. It is this sense of community that I think most members of the School cherish, which has kept me here, and will continue to guide my time here.
Can you tell us a little bit about your interests? What are you working on? What is the significance of your research in a larger context?
I am a Roman archaeologist, and my specialty is Roman fountains. My dissertation, which I recently finished at the University of Virginia’s McIntire Department of Art, was entitled “Water-Display and Meaning in the High Roman Empire.” I explored how one interacts with a public fountain in its built environment, examining how one’s sensorial perception of that space impacts the experience. While I was able to study fountains throughout the Roman Empire, my time in Greece played a great role in the study, by using examples of fountains I had seen on the Regular Program and my own independent research trips. I plan to continue this research, with a particular focus on examples in Greece in the near future. My approach to fountains, though, can be applied to water-displays in all time periods, including the modern period, making this avenue of inquiry really exciting!
While I am a Romanist, I have always valued ‘casting the net wide.’ Thus, I have a wide variety of interests, including numerous issues in Greek art and archaeology, Roman religion, topographical issues in Athens and Rome, Classical Reception, and Early Medieval Italy and Greece. Currently I am finishing an article on twelfth-century opus sectile pavements found in the private chapel of King Roger II in Palermo, Italy—which has even taken me to sites in Greece for comparanda.
Why is the School program so important? What do you hope to accomplish at the school during your tenure there? On a professional basis? On a personal basis?
The School is important because it not only exposes junior scholars to new and exciting materials and sites, but it also brings together many different generations of scholars under one roof. We are able to dialogue with each other, whether in the Blegen Library or at Ouzo Hour in Loring Hall. Furthermore, the School’s mission, which “advances knowledge of Greece in all periods,” is hugely important for those who use the School and to the wider public. Student members on trips explore Byzantine sites, along with areas related to Greece’s War of Independence and World War II. Lectures and events through the Gennadius Library provide an outlet for those using the School to be able to explore and learn about new things, most recently regarding Ottoman Athens.
While at the School as Assistant Director, I hope to continue the promotion of our mission in the Regular Program, along with interacting with scholars in the wider Athenian community. Further, I hope to instill and continue to foster the great sense of community among members that has kept me in Athens for this long now.
On a personal basis, I wish to continue to explore and learn more about Athens—including its topographical development in the post-Antique period and experiencing the culture in those streets today—along with going out and seeing more of the country of Greece itself.
What do you the students to take away from their experience there?
For the incoming students, I hope that they will be able to take away new insights, new connections, new point of views of ancient, modern, contemporary, and future Greece. As guests working and living in Athens, we have the opportunity to witness and take part in an important year for the history of modern Greece. We have the ability to work and learn from our Greek colleagues, understanding better the economic and political situation of Greece, which is an unique experience.
We also want to know the significance of the bow tie on your first day photo!
I think one should have a signature—and mine has always been the bow tie. Growing up in the South (born in Knoxville, raised in Virginia, went to Tulane University in New Orleans, then returned to Virginia for graduate school), wearing a bow tie reminds me of my roots, in addition to adding a bit of color and variety to every day!
