Alumni: In their own words...

Potential graduate students frequently ask "where do your graduates get jobs?" We asked several of our recent graduates to answer this question, as well as provide comments on how our department helped prepare them for employment. For more information about our graduates, please visit the alumni page.

"The faculty in the Classics Department at Iowa are outstanding mentors, and I feel that graduate students receive excellent feedback and encouragement throughout our time in the program. While a graduate student, I regularly presented papers at regional and national meetings. The department encourages excellence in teaching, and puts its money where its mouth is: as a fully funded graduate student, I taught a wide variety of interesting courses, and received the selective Outstanding Teaching Assistant award, an award that Teaching Assistants in Classics at Iowa have frequently won. The graduate program in Classics at Iowa gave me confidence in my ability to balance teaching and research interests." Lara K. Aho, PhD 2007

"The training that I received at The University of Iowa prepared me well to join the profession after I received my Ph.D. in 2002. The logical progression of the curriculum and the sequence of graduate exams gave me a sense of accomplishment as I went through the program, and the seminars provided rigorous philological training that has served me well in my career. The teaching and research assistantships not only defrayed the costs of graduate school, but also provided valuable experience in the classroom and in the production of scholarship. In particular, my work as an editorial assistant for Syllecta Classica helped me to develop effective strategies for my publishing my own scholarship. By far the most valuable part of my graduate education was the thoughtful advice and guidance that I received from my professors.

All of my experiences at The University of Iowa have contributed to my success in my current position in the Department of Classics and Letters at the University of Oklahoma. I have established a good record of publication, with articles in respected journals such as The Classical Journal, Philologus, and Arethusa; I have received university-wide recognition for my teaching; and I have found many outlets for service to my university and the profession. In recognition of my achievements, my university recently bestowed upon me the Joseph Paxton Presidential Professorship in Classics and Letters. None of this would have been possible without the excellent education that I received at The University of Iowa." Sam Huskey, PhD 2002

"I joined three other full-time faculty members in the Department of Classics at Samford University in the fall of 2004 where we currently have about thirty very bright and eager majors. I regularly reflect on the wonderful preparation and support I received – and continue to receive – from the program at Iowa: Rigorous course work and exam requirements were balanced by thoughtful and personable guidance from professors (I try to emulate this balance in my own classes and relationships with students every day); the teaching assignments were varied and helpful; and I am especially thankful for the invaluable guidance and support I received when on the job market." Andy Montgomery, PhD 2004

“What I most appreciated was the very genial balance of supervision and independence that the department offered. The faculty seemed to know precisely when I needed guidance and support in my teaching and research, and when it was better that I learn some lessons on my own. The teaching opportunities were excellent, and the support for papers and conferences, both intellectual and material, gave me an excellent start in my first job.” David Noe, PhD 2003

"The Iowa Department of Classics prepared me well for my current job, and assistance I received throughout my tenure at Iowa and during the search that led to my current position helped me to be competitive on the job market. Among the things the department did for me that helped me in those respects were the following: allowing me to teach a broad variety of classes and expand my professional repertoire through working on Syllecta Classica; providing funding during summer sessions so that I did not have to seek less applicable employment elsewhere; inviting in, and offering abundant chances for interaction with, a significant number of visiting scholars each year; encouraging and financially supporting travel to present at professional conferences, and offering feedback in advance of the conferences to make the papers the best they could be; writing thoughtful letters and coordinating other support for my successful candidacy for a teaching award and a dissertation fellowship; composing effective letters of recommendation, providing abundant guidance and preparation, and personally lobbying on my behalf during an employment search that resulted in numerous interviews and several job offers; and maintaining contact and continuing assistance as I map out my professional future." Robert Holschuh Simmons, PhD 2006

"My interdisciplinary research interests are a result of the diverse graduate curriculum at the Department of Classics at The University of Iowa. Facing the challenges of another large academic institution now, I also recognize the valuable benefits of the expansive teaching experience which I gained as a Teaching Assistant at UI. In my current role as a mentor for graduate students, I try to recreate the nurturing and very personal environment at the UI Classics program, which allowed me to adapt seamlessly to the American educational system." Svetla Slaveva-Griffin, PhD 2000