Episode 4: Midlands

Alexander’s passion for history; Ellie’s research into Ancient Nubia; Classics outreach; and how the Midlands ISN’T the North!

Contributors

Alexander Moore (https://www.classics.ox.ac.uk/people/undefined-2) is currently a DPhil Ancient History student at Lady Margaret Hall. Originating from Burton-on-Trent in the Midlands, he completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Liverpool and Masters at the University of Birmingham before starting his DPhil at Oxford in 2020. His research focuses on the reported political, social, and military influence of Julius Caesar's veterans during the various and successive civil conflicts of the Late Roman Republic. He is eager to encourage anyone to engage with, and benefit from, the study of the ancient world.

Eleanor Newman (https://www.classics.ox.ac.uk/people/eleanor-newman) has been studying Classics related subjects since 2016 when she started her undergraduate degree at the University of Nottingham. She is currently studying for a DPhil in Classical Archaeology, which will focus on the intersection of race and gender in Hellenistic terracottas in an attempt to counteract the modern whitewashing of life in the ancient Mediterranean. In her spare time, Ellie can be found in her hometown of Nuneaton baking, pub quizzing, and hanging out with her pets.

Roberta Thomson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/roberta-thomson-4619225/) is an experienced communications leader with a background in finance who has worked in London, New York, Dallas and Silicon Valley. She currently leads Facebook's Product Communications team, which tells the story of how Facebook’s products improve people’s lives. For five years previously she led Facebook’s Corporate Communications team, including financial and media relations, creative, internal and data communications. Previously Roberta spent over seven years at critical issues and corporate relations agency Brunswick Group, where she advised on media relations, crisis and issues management, and over $150bn of M&A transactions. Roberta started her professional life as a chartered accountant with Deloitte in London, where she worked with clients across sectors on both statutory audits and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. Prior to that she read Classics at Oxford, and spent her teenage years singing in a rock band.

Katrina Kelly (https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrina-kelly-3925a216b/), the host of this podcast, studied Classics (Course IA) at Magdalen College from 2015-19 after being home-educated in Lytham St Annes on the Lancashire coast. Now a researcher at the Faculty, she hopes to help make Oxford Classics an ever more accessible, inclusive and exciting place to study and work. Katrina is also the Education Co-ordinator and Branches Officer for the Classical Association.

Things we mention

Oxford Classics outreach - https://www.classics.ox.ac.uk/outreach

Classical Conversations - https://clasoutreach.web.ox.ac.uk/classical-conversations

How can I get involved?

Oxford for West Midlands - https://www.ox.ac.uk/oxfordforWM

Oxford for East Midlands - https://www.ox.ac.uk/oxfordforEM

Birmingham and West Midlands Classics Network - https://classicsforall.org.uk/what-we-do/our-networks/birmingham-and-wes...

University of Leicester and East Midlands Classics Network - https://classicsforall.org.uk/what-we-do/our-networks/university-leicest...

The East Midlands Association of Classical Teachers - https://emact.wordpress.com/

Find a Classical Association branch near you - https://classicalassociation.org/branches/

Link Colleges

Lincoln College – Classical Archaeology and Ancient History only - https://lincoln.ox.ac.uk/study-here/working-with-schools

Magdalen College - https://www.magd.ox.ac.uk/studying-here/outreach/

St Edmund Hall – no Classics at undergraduate level - https://www.seh.ox.ac.uk/news/outreach

Keble College – Classical Archaeology and Ancient History only - https://www.keble.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduates/outreach/

Oriel College - https://www.oriel.ox.ac.uk/study-us/schools-liaison/about-outreach-oriel

University College - https://www.univ.ox.ac.uk/applying-to-univ/outreach/