Dr. Alexis Q. Castor is Assistant Professor of Classics at Franklin & Marshall College, where she teaches ancient history, archaeology, and Greek. She earned her her B.A. in History from George Mason University and M.A. and Ph.D. in Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology from Bryn Mawr College. She also completed graduate courses in Greek, Roman, and Near Eastern history at The George Washington University. Professor Castor taught at GWU and was a research associate at the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts at the National Gallery of Art. In 2004, she team-taught the course Between the Rivers with Hilary Gopnik, Ph.D. At Franklin & Marshall, Professor Castor has been named Most Influential Professor twice by the senior class. Her research interests are in social history in the Greek world, especially the use of luxury goods to display status. In addition, she is interested in connections between Greece, the Black Sea, and Asia Minor.