Staff and Fellows

Staff

Director: Professor Christopher Smith, MA DPhil FSAS FRHistS FSA

After a doctorate at Oxford on Early Rome and Latium from 1000 to 500 BC Christopher moved to the University of St Andrews in 1992. In 2006 he was appointed as Vice-Principal with responsibility for graduate studies and student services. His research interests are focused on the development of Rome as a political and social community and how this was represented in ancient historical writing and subsequent political thought. He is one of the editors of a major new edition of the Fragmentary Roman Historians.
Christopher first came to the BSR in 1990 and was the 2006-7 Hugh Last Fellow before returning as Director in 2009.

Research Professor in Archaeology: Professor Simon Keay, BA PhD FSA

Further information on Simon can be found on his profile page at the University of Southampton.

Assistant Director: Joanna Kostylo, MA MPhil PhD

Joanna obtained her doctorate in Italian history from Kings College, Cambridge. In 2005, she was appointed a Research Associate in the Faculty of Law at the University of Cambridge to develop a digital archive of Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1800) www.copyrighthistory.org. In 2007, she was awarded a Buckley Research Fellowship at the Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (CRASSH), Cambridge, and a Junior Research Fellowship at Wolfson College, Cambridge, in 2009. She also taught at the Italian Department at the University College London. Joanna specializes in the Italian Renaissance with specific interests in medicine, the history of the book and of intellectual property and relations between Italy and Poland.

 Assistant Director (Fine Arts): Jacopo Benci

Jacopo is a practising artist who works across media, is trained in art history, and has been writing and lecturing about Italian post-war cinema since 2003. He joined the BSR in 1992 and has been Assistant Director Fine Arts since 1998. Further information on Jacopo can be found on his website.

Cary Fellow: Robert Coates-Stephens, BA PhD

Robert gained his degree and PhD in archaeology at University College London (1988-95). He first came to the BSR as Rome Scholar in 1995-6 and has been Cary Fellow since 2002. He directs the undergraduate Ancient Rome Summer School and postgraduate City of Rome courses. In addition to the topography, history, art and archaeology of the city of Rome, his research centres on the fortune of the Antique in the Early Middle Ages. He is the author of Porta Maggiore: Monument and Landscape (2004) and Immagini e memoria. Rome in the photographs of Father Peter Paul Mackey (2009), and is Socio Corrispondente of the Pontificia Accademia Romana di Archeologia.

Rome Fellow in Architecture: Marina Engel, MA

Marina Engel set up and curated the British School at Rome’s contemporary art programme from 1990-96 before leaving for Switzerland. On her return in 2006, she established the BSR’s architecture programme which she continues to curate.

Librarian: Valerie Scott, BA

Valerie joined the BSR as Assistant Librarian in 1981 becoming Librarian in 1988.

Deputy Librarian: Beatrice Gelosia

Beatrice has been associated with the BSR since 1981, becoming full-time in 1989.

Library Assistants

Francesca De Riso BA
Francesca joined the BSR in 1998 and is in charge of the management of periodicals.
Francesca Deli
Francesca joined the BSR in  2004, becoming full-time in 2006.
Patrizio Gianferro
Cecilia Carponi

Archivist: Alessandra Giovenco, MA

Alessandra joined the BSR in 1997 and has managed the Archive since 2002

Development Officer: Mary Ellen Mathewson

Mary Ellen joined the BSR in 2010 to continue her distinguished and varied career in fund-raising and development in the UK and US.

Administrative Assistant: Natalie Arrowsmith MPhil

Natalie first came to the BSR on the undergraduate summer school in 2009. She came back to the BSR as a member of staff in 2012 following her degree in Classics at Newnham College, Cambridge.

Accounts Clerk: Isabella Gelosia

Isabella has been with the BSR since 1980, and has served under six directors so far.

Residence Manager: Christine Martin, BA

Christine joined us in 2012. She looks after the residence and accommodation at the BSR

Registrar & Publications Manager: Gill Clark, BA PhD

Gill joined the BSR staff in March 1991 but her relationship with the BSR began as a Rome Scholar in 1980-1 followed by Rome Fellow in 1987-9. Gill now leads our London office.

Prjoject Manager and Personal Assistant to Director: Eleanor Murkett, MA

Eleanor has been at the BSR since 2003 and has a BA in History of Art (Leicester) and MA in Gallery Studies (Essex)

Permissions and Logistical Support Officer: Stefania Peterlini

Domestic Bursar: Renato Parente

Maintenance: Fulvio Astolfi

Systems consultant: Susan Rothwell Smith, MA

Susan oversees IT and process management within the BSR.

Cleaners:

Donatella Astolfi:
Donatella began part-time in 2001 becoming full-time in 2003, cleaning the library and BSR public spaces.
Alba Coratti:
Alba has worked at the BSR since 1993 and currently looks after the north wing studios and study bedrooms in the east wing.
Magdalena Minican:
Magdalena joined the BSR in 2012.

Cooks: Giuseppe Parente, Dharma Wijesiriwardana

Waiter and Technical Assistant: Giuseppe Pellegrino

Peppe started at the British School at Rome in 1999. Since 2002 he has also been responsible for the technical equipment of the Sainsbury Lecture Theatre.

Waiter/Porter: Antonio Palmieri

Archaeological Services Staff

Research Assistant: Roberta Cascino, MA

Graduate and post-graduate specialization degree in Archaeology at the University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’. Roberta is also a tour guide (Italian and English) and journalist. Since 1991 she has taken part in various Italian archaeological fieldwork projects on sites dating from Prehistory to the Medieval period. Her key research interests, with several publications, include Italic civilisation and, as a pottery expert, the production of ceramics in antiquity. Since 1997 she has worked with the British School at Rome and has been involved in the Tiber Valley Project, Falacrinae Project and the Portus Project. In 2009 she organized the opening exhibition for the Falacrinae Museum at Cittareale (RI), and co-edited the catalogue.

Molly Cotton Fellow: Stephen Kay, MSc

Stephen worked as a geophysical researcher at the BSR before being awarded the Molly Cotton Fellowship in 2012. He graduated in Archaeology at the University of Durham and then specialised in Archaeological Computing (MSc) at the University of Southampton. He has managed many surveys and projects throughout Italy and has built up a wide experience of landscape archaeology. He currently field directs the BSR’s joint research project at Segni. He also supervised the BSR’s excavation of a Roman villa as part of the Falacrinae Research Project which is now being prepared for publication, as well as supervising the topographical excavation survey of the Portus Project. In the past he has also worked for the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage (Archeomar Project) as well as the Soprintendenza Comunale of Rome (Appia Project). He has published widely on a range of subjects.He is currently studying for a PhD at King’s College, London.

Geophysical Researcher: Sophie Hay, MA (Southampton APSS, based at BSR)

As Geophysical Researcher for the Archaeological Prospection Services of [the University of] Southampton (APSS) Sophie project manages surveys in Italy in collaboration with the British School at Rome. As well as conducting geophysical and topographical surveys for the Roman Towns Project at sites such as Otricoli, Portus, Fallerii Novi and Fregellae she also collaborates with Universities, Italian authorities and private Institutions on a vast range of archaeological research projects. Most recently work has taken her to Pompeii, Alba Fucens, Rome and Segni but also further afield to Tunisia, Libya and Sudan. Before Southampton, she worked for the British School at Rome at Pompeii, Insula IX, Region 1 where she was the site director for archaeological recording, as well as supervising excavations. Her excavation work has taken her to locations such as Belize, Libya and Albania. She is currently studying for a PhD at the University of Southampton.

Geophysical Research AssistantAlice James, MSc

Alice graduated from the University of Reading in 2009 with a BA honours in Archaeology and History. Alice has been involved in a range of archaeological projects (excavation and survey based) in Britain and abroad, developing a particular interest in geophysical data collection. In 2010, she enrolled at the University of Bradford for a Masters in Archaeological Prospection to develop a fuller understanding of the more theoretical applications of near surface geophysics. Alice is particularly interested in Historical Archaeology, specifically the Medieval period. This was highlighted in her Masters dissertation, where she combined her two strengths, focusing on the utilisation of geophysical techniques in attempting to identify deserted medieval village sites.

Geophysical Research Assistant: Matthew Berry, Msc

Upon graduating from the University of Reading in 2010 with a BA Honours in Archaeology, Matthew was awarded a studentship to study for a Masters in Archaeological Prospection at the University of Bradford. Here he was able to further his practical experience of geophysical survey techniques and a gain a greater understanding of the underpinning theoretical principles. For his Masters thesis he helped design and test a magnetometer cart system and tied this in with the more general current geophysics research themes of collecting larger and higher resolution data sets over a shorter period of time. Matthew has worked on both commercial and research projects in the UK and abroad and has a particular interest in Roman archaeology and the use of geophysical survey to help understand historical landscapes.

 

BSR Research Fellows

Dr Joan Barclay Lloyd
The architecture and decoration of medieval churches and monasteries in Rome, c. 1050-c. 1320
Maria Cristina Biella
Giving voice to an ancient city: the case of Falerii Veteres
Dr Claudia Bolgia
Linking Evidence: A Digital Approach to Medieval and Early Renaissance Rome
Dr Patrizia Cavazzini
The art market and display of works of art in Roman houses in 17th century Rome; artists at the papal court
Dr Roberto Cobianchi
‘Lo temperato uso delle cose’. La committenza dell’Osservanza francescana nell’Italia del Rinascimento
Dr Elizabeth Fentress
Roman archaeology
Dr Inge Lyse Hansen
Role-playing and role-models in Roman imperial art; late Roman funerary art; provincial identity and patronage in the Greek east
Dr Andrew Hopkins
Committenza architettonica fra Venezia e Roma nel Seicento
Dr Sabine Huebner
Family and demography in the ancient Mediterranean
Dr Simon Martin
From peasants into sportsmen: sport and the development of modern Italy
Dr Karin Wolfe
The Venetian painter Francesco Trevisani

 

 

Honorary Fellows of the British School at Rome

Professor Girolamo Arnaldi
Professor Anna Maria Bietti Sestieri
Dr Angelo Bottini
Mr Peter Brown CBE
Professor Andrea Carandini
Mr Roderick Cavaliero
Professor Filippo Coarelli
Professor Francesco D’Andria
Professor Stefano De Caro
Professor Paolo Delogu
Lady Egerton
Professor Emanuela Fabbricotti
Professor Anna Gallina Zevi
Professor Pier Giovanni Guzzo
Mr Robert Jackson
Professor Adriano La Regina
Professor Eugenio La Rocca
Dr Tersilio Leggio
Professor David Marshall
Professor Fergus Millar
Avv. Luca Cordero di Montezemolo
Professor John Osborne
Dr David Woodley Packard
Professor Silvio Panciera
Professor Paola Pelagatti
Dr Anna Maria Reggiani
Lord Sainsbury of Preston Candover KG
Mr Michael Stillwell
Professor Mario Torelli
Professor Maria Luisa Veloccia Rinaldi
Professor Fausto Zevi


 

Fellows of the BSR

 

Honorary Fellows

 

Research Fellows