Tara Wells,

Tara (she/her) is a PhD candidate in her 5th year in Duke's Classical Studies program. Tara received an MA from the University of Maryland - College Park (2020) and a BA from Oberlin College (2018), both in Latin & Greek. However, Tara’s interests and skills range far beyond philological work as she also has vast experience working with material culture and participating in archaeological and historically-focused programs and projects. Some recent highlights include being a Regular Member at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens (ASCSA) and serving as a ceramics specialist on the Pompeii I.14 Project (director Allison Emmerson), with previous experiences at the ASCSA, American Academy in Rome, Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome, American Excavations at Morgantina, Hellenic Education and Research Center in Greece, Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, Nasher Museum at Duke University, Duke’s Center for Multicultural Affairs. She has also assisted in teaching study abroad programs in Rome. Tara has received numerous generous funding awards to support all of these opportunities, from her home departments as well external organizations including the AIA, SCS, CAMWS, Eta Sigma Phi, the Andrew M. Mellon Foundation, and the American Friends of Herculaneum.

Tara’s own research is focused in general on representations of people with marginalized identities, with a particular interest in ethnic and gender identity, hoping to amplify the voices of perspectives long ignored in the field. As a multi-racial disabled woman, Tara is also passionate about making the study of Classics and academia at large more accessible and inclusive of traditionally underrepresented identities in the field; she takes pride in leading and participating in various DEI efforts such as serving on departmental committees and field-wide organizations, speaking on and organizing panels about disability and race in ancient studies, and informal mentorship and community-fostering among fellow scholars of marginalized identities in the field.

Currently, she is an active member of the Mountaintop Coalition and co-editing an upcoming issue of Res Difficiles, The Journal, titled “‘REZ Diff’: Indigenous Perspectives in Classics,” after recently organizing a successful SCS panel on the same topic. She is also teaching a new graduate seminar on “Race and History of the Field” in which students are working to uncover and understand issues of systemic racism in the development of Classical education and building ideas for making this important topic a standard in our field and making general change to better academia – and the world at large.  

Contact Info:

Office Location:
Email Address: