Karin E. Christiaens

Karin E. Christiaens

Karin is a Ph.D. candidate specializing in the study of the eastern Mediterranean under the Roman Empire. Her dissertation investigates the urban topography of Greek cities under Roman rule, with a focus on the proliferation and architectural transformation of built public spaces mediated by series of gateways.

Prior to entering the Ph.D. program, Karin completed a B.A. in Art History and English from The College of New Jersey (2010), an M.A. in Classical Art and Archaeology from The University of Chicago (2011), and a Post-baccalaureate certificate in Greek and Latin from the Classics Department at Columbia University (2014). She also holds an M.A. (2016) and M.Phil. (2017) from Columbia.

Karin has excavated at the Athenian Agora (2011-2013); the Columbia APAHA excavations at Hadrian's Villa (2014-2015); and the Columbia excavations at the Sanctuary of Poseidon at Onchestos in Boeotia (2014-present), where she has been a site supervisor since 2016. At the Onassis Cultural Center, New York, she served as a docent for “Gods and Mortals at Olympus: Ancient Dion, City of Zeus” (2016) and “A World of Emotions: Ancient Greece, 700 BC – 200 AD” (2017).

During her time at Columbia, Karin has held several pedagogy-focused fellowships with Columbia’s Center for Teaching and Learning (2017-2020) and was one of two inaugural fellows at the GSAS Writing Studio (2019-2020), where she designed and facilitated workshops, writing groups, and retreats and developed resources in support of dissertation writers. Currently, Karin teaches Art Humanities as a Preceptor in the Core Curriculum.