About the Directors and Faculty

Directors

Leigh Anne Lieberman, The Alexandria Archive Institute/Open Context

Leigh Anne Lieberman standing at an archaeological site, working on a tablet. Standing column and other architectural reminds are in front of her. The sea is in the background.

Leigh received her Ph.D from Princeton University in 2018. Her research explores how and why artifacts and spaces were recycled and repurposed, especially in the ancient Roman world. She has taught at Kilgour Elementary School, Walnut Hills High School, Claremont McKenna College, Pitzer College, Pomona College, Scripps College, and Duke’s Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies. From 2018-2020, she directed the development of The Digital Humanities Initiative at The Claremont Colleges, a Mellon-funded program that aimed to create a robust curriculum in digital methods for faculty, staff, and students across a seven-institution academic consortium. She currently serves as the Manager of Data and Information Resources for the Pompeii Archaeological Research Project: Porta Stabia where she’s leading the publication of the artifact assemblages from the excavation; as the Head of Materials for the Tharros Archaeological Research Project; and as the Data Management Director for the American Excavations at Morgantina: Contrada Agnese Project. Beyond her work in the classroom and in the field, Leigh serves as the Director of Strategic Partnerships for The Alexandria Archive Institute/Open Context, where she’s developing relationships with libraries, museums, public archaeology networks, academic institutions, and other cultural heritage organizations in order to lead the creation of sustainable, accessible, and inclusive initiatives around cultural heritage data publishing and data literacy. 

Matt Panciera standing in a toga. Behind him are several students seated at desks.

Matthew Panciera, Gustavus Adolphus College

Matt received his Ph.D. from the UNC-Chapel Hill in 2001. His research focuses on Roman social history, Pompeian graffiti, and Latin pedagogy. He taught at UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC-Greensboro, College of Charleston, and Hamilton College before landing at Gustavus Adolphus College in 2002.  He has also served several times as a faculty member for Duke’s Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies (in Rome and in Catania). Having organized and led an NEH Summer Seminar for K-12 teachers on Roman Daily Life (2016, 2018, 2021), Matt is excited to have an opportunity to introduce faculty members to the myriad digital resources about the ancient Roman world that they can marshal in their classrooms.

K-12 Consultant

Catherine Daun, Great Hearts Academy (Phoenix, AZ)

Catherine Daun has taught Latin at grade 6-12 schools since 2019. She currently teaches Latin III, IV, and V at a public charter school in the Phoenix, Arizona metro area; before that she was at the University of Virginia (MA, Classics) and Brigham Young University (BA, Classics). Last summer she was a participant in the NEH Roman Life seminar. As that course was held online, she’s especially excited to visit Gustavus Adolphus and get to know all the seminar participants in person this summer! In her free time she enjoys lap swimming, rock climbing, cooking, and playing the piano.