The Robert Lamberton and Susan Rotroff Fund in Classics

The Robert Lamberton and Susan Rotroff Fund in Classics supports any form of summer study by undergraduate or graduate students in the Department of Classics, or by undergraduate or graduate students in the Department of Art History and Archaeology whose primary interest is in ancient Greece and/or Rome. Activities to be supported by this fund include but are not limited to the following:

  • Participation in the Summer School of the American Academy in Rome or the American School of Classical Studies in Athens.
  • Participation in an archaeological excavation.
  • Travel to an academic conference
  • Special summer language study in the United States or abroad not available at Washington University.
  • Travel for individual research to libraries in the United States or abroad.

Donations to the fund in honor of Professors Lamberton and Rotroff will always be welcome, and can be made via the Washington University Gifts website.  Under “I prefer to enter my own designation,” type “The Robert Lamberton and Susan Rotroff Fund in Classics. You can also mail a check to the University Advancement Office, with a note indicating that the gift is designated for the Kevin Herbert Memorial Fund in Classics:

Washington University in St. Louis
University Advancement
MSC 1210
One Brookings Drive
St. Louis, MO 63130 

Apply for Funding

To be considered for funding from the Robert Lamberton and Susan Rotroff Fund, apply for the Penelope Biggs Travel Award.

Penelope Biggs Travel Award

Bob Lamberton and Susan Rotroff

Bob Lamberton
Susan Rotroff

Bob Lamberton and Susan Rotroff retired in 2015 after extraordinary careers, including two decades in the Washington University Department of Classics. Bob is a scholar of Greek literature from Homer to late antiquity, and was a pioneer in the field of Homer’s ancient reception. As chair of Classics from 2000-2006, Bob was the driving force behind the rise of the department’s MA program to one of the premier programs of its kind in the country, and participated in the early construction of the current PhD program. His excellence in the classroom and his superb mentorship helped lead numerous students to successful careers in Classics and other areas.

Susan joined Washington University in 1995 and was appointed Jarvis Thurston and Mona Van Duyn Professor in the Humanities in 1999. She served as chair of Classics from 2006-2009. She is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading Greek archaeologists, with awards including a MacArthur Prize and a Gold Medal from the Archaeological Institute of America. Besides serving both the Classics and Art History & Archaeology departments at Washington University, Susan contributed excellent teaching and life-changing mentorship of students in both departments, and helped many undergraduate and graduate students get their first excavation experiences. In March 2019, Susan was reunited with her former colleagues when she returned to campus as the Biggs Family Resident in Classics.