STEVEN ELLIS Assistant Professor of Classics, University of Cincinnati

Steven Ellis is a Roman Archaeologist who, having completed his Ph.D. in 2005 at the University of Sydney, spent the next two years at the University of Michigan where he lectured in classical archaeology. Now at the University of Cincinnati, Steven continues to be actively involved in the archaeological research and publication of urban and sacred sites in Italy and Greece; in Italy, Steven directs the Pompeii Archaeological Research Project: Porta Stabia (http://classics.uc.edu/pompeii/)and co-directs the Pompeii Quadriporticus Project (http://www.umass.edu/classics/PQP.htm), while in Greece he is the co-director of the East Isthmia Archaeology Project. Steven is internationally regarded as a pioneer in archaeological fieldwork (his revolutionary use of iPads was even singled-out by Steve Jobs and profiled on Apple's own website). A recipient of many international awards, including research grants and fellowships from National Geographic and the Loeb Classical Library Foundation, and with regular appearances on the National Geographic Channel, Steven will soon follow up his book on “The Making of Pompeii: Studies in the History and Urban Development of an Ancient Town” (2011) with interdisciplinary publications that illustrate the role that non-elites played in the shaping of ancient cities, social habits and customs in antiquity, and retailing in the Roman world.

Cincinnati Museum Center is proud to partner with Steven and graduate students from the Classics Department at the University of Cincinnati. Their current excavations and research in Pompeii is featured in part of the A Day in Pompeii exhibition, highlighted by photos, text panels and a short video. The University of Cincinnati joins us for gallery talks inside the exhibition from 1 to 3 p.m. every Saturday March 17 through May 26, as guest speakers during our Pompeii Book Club meetings on April 26 and May 31 and as a featured speaker for our Brown Bag Lecture Series on June 7. Steven is our Insights Distinguished Lecture speaker on May 17.