January 09, 2025
SIU’s Paul Simon Institute hosts art history professor to discuss Alexander the Great
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Rachel Kousser, a professor at Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York, will join Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Paul Simon Public Policy Institute on Wednesday, Jan. 15, for a virtual discussion on classical studies and the legacy of Alexander the Great.
Kousser will speak with John Shaw, institute director, about her interest in classical studies, their significance in higher education and the compelling personality and legacy of the ancient Greek king Alexander the Great.
The discussion, via Zoom at 10 a.m., is free and open to the public, but registration to view the conversation is required. The discussion is part of the institute’s “Understanding Our New World” discussion series. Visit paulsimoninstitute.org/events to register.
“Professor Kousser is a superb scholar and a wonderful explainer of the ancient world,” said John Shaw, institute director. “We are eager to learn more about her passion for the classics, her views on how a classical education is valuable in the 21st century and her fascination with Alexander the Great.”
A classicist and art history professor, Kousser is author of “Alexander at the End of the World: The Forgotten Final Years of Alexander the Great.” She is also author of the 2017 book, “The Afterlives of Greek Sculpture: Interaction, Transformation, and Destruction” and “Hellenistic and Roman Ideal Sculpture: The Allure of the Classical” in 2008.
Kousser has been with CUNY’s Graduate Center since 2007, where she is now professor and executive officer of the doctoral program in classics, and with CUNY’s Brooklyn College since 2004, where she is a professor in the art department. She earned her doctorate in classical art and archaeology from New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts and a bachelor’s degree as a double major in classics and art history from Yale University. Her research interests are Greek and Roman art and archaeology.
Attendees are encouraged to submit questions for Kousser on the registration form or email questions to paulsimoninstitute@siu.edu.
More information, a list of the institute’s upcoming events and past speakers and events are available.