As classicists from across North America prepare to gather in Mobile, Alabama, for the 122nd Annual Meeting of the Classical Association of the Middle West and South (CAMWS)—March 11–14, 2026—Washington University in St. Louis will once again be prominently represented. Faculty, graduate students, and even an undergraduate scholar from the John and Penelope Biggs Department of Classics will present new research, lead sessions, and contribute to the program’s vibrant intellectual community.
This year’s meeting features an expansive range of topics across Greek and Roman literature, history, archaeology, philosophy, reception studies, pedagogy, and material culture—and Washington University scholars appear throughout the program.
Faculty Leadership and Scholarly Contribution
Professor Tom Keeline (Classics)
Professor Keeline will preside over the Cicero panel in the First Paper Session on Thursday, March 12 (Mobile Bay 3). His leadership in this session reflects his longstanding work in Roman rhetoric, Latin language, and Ciceronian scholarship—a highlight for many attendees and a point of pride for the department.
Graduate Students Showcasing Advanced Research
Washington University Classics graduate students are presenting across multiple thematic areas at CAMWS 2026, reflecting both the range and depth of their scholarship. Their work appears in literary analysis, historiography, reception, linguistics, and material culture.
Presenters
- Bayla Kamens
Looms in the Classroom: Ancient Textiles through Studio Art
(Mythology and Weaving – Thursday, 8:15–9:45 a.m.) - Maria Eugenia Bonaparte-Gimenez
A story of misunderstood jealousy: Procne’s emotion in Sophocles’ Tereus
(Sophocles – Thursday, 3:15–5:15 p.m.) - Davis Holden
The Persuasion of Philoctetes
(Sophocles – Thursday, 3:15–5:15 p.m.) - William Sieving
The "Middle" Ages? Prochreiai as Advance Wages in Late Antique Egypt
(Workers and Wages – Friday, 8:15–9:45 a.m.) - Jake N. Pawlush
A War Written in Stone: IEphesos V, no. 1450 and Ephesos’ Koinos Polemos
(Epigraphy and Numismatics – Friday, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.) - Maurice S. Gonzales
Humanimals in Juvenal's Satires
(Mother Nature Unleashed (and Unplugged) – Friday, 2:00-4:00 p.m.) - Sarah A. Mason
Bruce Wayne: A Modern Odysseus
(Classics from Popular Culture to Classrooms – Saturday, 8:00-10:00 a.m.) - Owen Embree
Polybius and Livy on Fabius and Scipio: What Makes an Effective General?
(Roman Republican History and Historiography – Saturday, 1:00-3:00 p.m.)
Undergraduate Excellence
Sienna Mora (Undergraduate Student, Washington University in St. Louis)
Sienna will present:
“Nero in Greece: The Underlying Economic Motives of a Notorious Emperor”
(Workers and Wages – Friday, 8:15–9:45 a.m.)
Her inclusion in a competitive paper session—rather than an undergraduate poster track—speaks to the exceptional quality of her research and represents the department’s commitment to fostering undergraduate scholarship at the highest level.
A Program Reflecting Departmental Strength
The 122nd CAMWS program showcases Washington University’s emphasis on interdisciplinary approaches to the ancient world—from philology to political theory, gender studies to material culture. Our students and faculty contribute to ongoing dialogues in:
- Greek and Roman historiography
- Literary theory and reception
- Epigraphy and papyrology
- Performance studies
- Gender and sexuality in antiquity
- Archaeology and cultural identity
This year’s meeting also marks a continued expansion of WashU’s visibility within CAMWS, with multiple graduate presenters appearing across several marquee thematic sessions.
Looking Ahead
As the CAMWS community prepares to convene, the Department of Classics celebrates all scholars representing Washington University in St. Louis. Their research, leadership, and engagement exemplify the intellectual rigor and collaborative spirit that define our department.
We look forward to a successful meeting in Mobile and to sharing updates and reflections when our scholars return.
Valeatis et bene sit omnibus!
