Department of Classical and Early Mediterranean Studies

Research Fellows

The Classics department offers several opportunities for undergraduates to participate in research. These include the Shiff fellows, the Eunice M. Lebowitz Cohen (EMLC) fellows, archaeological fieldwork opportunities, EMLC Classical Studies Artifact Research Collection (CLARC) interns, and other varying EMLC prizes.

The Eunice M. Lebowitz Cohen Fellowship in Classical Studies

Classical Studies majors are eligible compete for the Eunice M. Lebowitz Cohen Fellowship in Classical Studies.  As part of this program, a select number of fellows will work on a research or creative project based in Classics. The project will be directed by a faculy member from the Classics Department. Some examples of past projects include:

  • Read one writer or one work in depth, in Ancient Greek or Latin, and write a research paper

  • Design a new classical studies course, complete with bibliography and syllabus

  • Annotate an epic or other major work of history, science or literature for uploading as a webpage on the classical studies website

  • Compile a source book on one aspect of Classical history and host a spring symposium on the topic

  • Compile a portrait of a famous Roman or Greek using all of the Classical fields: art, archaeology, architecture, drama, history, language, literature, philosophy, poetry, prose, etc.

  • Read or translate Greek and Latin poetry and put together a bi- or tri-lingual spring reading of poems for a campuswide event

  • Create a Trojan Horse, Roman temple, or Greek theatre using the medium of your choice

  • Stage a Greek or Roman play in the original language or in English, using your own or another's translation

  • Compile a source book of modern poems with classical themes; analyze their derivation and reliance on Classics to express the Modern

  • Research a group of objects from the Ancient Artifact Study Center

Each fellow will meet with their faculty mentor on a monthly basis throughout the academic year. In addition, fellows and mentors will meet as a group for dinner twice each semester to discuss the project's progress and challenges. The final project should be completed by the end of final exams.

The fellowship stipend is $750; reimbursement for modest research expenses will be considered. Applications are due at the end of March, with selections announced in mid-April. The program officially runs each academic year from fall through spring.

A list of current Eunice M. Lebowitz Cohen Fellows can be accessed on our Prizes & Awards page.

Homeric Multitext Project

One of the projects that undergraduates choose to focus on is the Homeric Multitext Project with Professor Leonard C. Muellner. Focusing on a digital publication of Byzantine era Iliad manuscripts, undergraduates compile a complete edition of the unpublished works. Venetus B, one of the manuscripts, includes ancient commentary (scholia), the primary sources for which are not available. This commentary can only be found in these Byzantine manuscripts, and it includes interesting annotations about the origins of words, compares this version of the Iliad to other, slightly different versions, and gives students and scholars an overview of the challenges of oral traditions. This Venetus B  work is a part of the larger goal of the Homeric Multitext project, which aims to provide a comprehensive database of all Homeric scripts, free for public access. The access also provides comparisons online, where students and scholars can view multiple versions side by side.

Classical Studies Artifact Research Collection (CLARC)

Ann Olga Koloski-Ostrow supervises the work of CLARC interns in a pre-professional program designed for students interested in museum work generally, artifact preservation and conservation, creation of a digital object database, photography, and collection management. At most universities, such opportunities would only be available to graduate students. Undergraduate interns are able to create final projects reflecting their skills.

Fieldwork Opportunities

The Department of Classical Studies offers several fieldwork opportunities for both undergraduates and graduate students. Please see our Fieldwork Opportunities page for more information.

Funding for Interns and Fellowships

Most scholarships and fellowships offered to undergraduates who have matriculated at Brandeis are coordinated by the Undergraduate Research and Creative Collaborations (URCC). See their website for further information about scholarships and fellowships to support your research in classical studies.

If you plan to conduct Classical research at Brandeis, in addition to the Eunice M. Lebowitz Cohen Fellowship program, you should consider the following programs run by URCC: