My research focus is the urban morphology of the Etruscan city of Vulci from the early Etruscan period through the Roman Empire. I will use digital technologies, such as remote sensing and 3D visitations, to offer a more complete, holistic view of the urban change and the subsequent relationships on a micro and macro scale. The work I’m doing with Professor Forte and his Bass Connections team is going to form part of the base of my data and preliminary analysis. 

My work with Bass Connections has allowed me to place in two poster symposium contests here on campus, where I was the only humanities poster to win among the many science-focused posters. Further, I will be taking my initial analysis that I completed as part of the Bass Connections team and present it as part of the CAA conference this March.

The most rewarding part of this experience has been the multiple view points and interdisciplinary conversations that have occurred. My dissertation is very multidisciplinary so having a team with representations from many of those different areas has allowed me to move forward and to consider my data sets from perspectives I would not have consider initially. 

For graduate students considering Bass Connections, I would highly encourage joining one of the teams. It’s a rewarding experience. With dedication, these teams turn into large projects that continue. This is also a good experience for graduate students before going into the workplace as it teaches you how to work within a team, which is not always a skill graduate students are good at after spending years focusing on their own research.

I worked very closely with one undergraduate member of the team as he applied to work with Professor Forte. I taught him how to manage several programs so he could help me upload and process data. On a large picture, I am the contact for the undergraduates and hold weekly student meetings. We make sure all the wheels are turning together and it’s a great time for anyone to ask questions about things they’re unsure about.