The First-Generation Low-Income Federation is made up of scholars, teachers, students, and professionals whose paths into and through the field have taken many different shapes. With FGLIF Profiles, we’re highlighting members of our community to show the range of experiences, routes, and voices that make up our corner of Classics, archaeology, and related fields.
These profiles celebrate the people who are already here: people who can offer advice, share perspectives, answer questions, or simply remind us that none of us are navigating this on our own. Our hope is that these stories make it easier to see yourself in the field, connect with others, and feel welcomed into a network of colleagues who understand the challenges and successes that come with being first-gen and/or low-income in academia.
We’re excited to share these profiles and to keep growing this series. Stay tuned for more introductions, and please feel free to reach out if you’d like to be featured or know someone whose story should be included.
Katie Tardio, FGLIF Co-Chair; Assistant Professor of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies, Bucknell University
What drew you to the study of the ancient world? For as long as I can remember I was drawn to the ancient world. Some of the first books I checked out of the public library, around age 5, were illustrated guides to ancient Egypt and the Mediterranean, and I often convinced my parents to…
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Leah Bernardo-Ciddio, FGLIF Co-Chair; Independent Researcher
What drew you to the study of the ancient world? I was always interested in history in general, from a very early age; when I saw Titanic at age 7, I became immediately fascinated by the ability to recover materials, even from disaster sites underwater, and to understand what life was like for people through…
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Ashley Eckhardt, FGLIF Co-Chair; Project Editor, American School of Classical Studies at Athens
What drew you to the study of the ancient world? I loved history from a young age, but it was ancient history courses as an undergraduate that cemented my interest in the ancient world. My favorite lectures each semester where the ones that discussed an ancient culture’s art and architecture. Art history wasn’t a subject…
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First-Generation Low-Income Federation 