Annabel J. Wharton

Annabel J. Wharton is the William B. Hamilton Distinguished Professor of Art and Art History at Duke University's Trinity College of Arts & Sciences. She holds dual appointments in the Department of Art, Art History & Visual Studies. Her research bridges architectural history, cultural studies, and digital humanities, with notable work on medieval/Byzantine art, urban design, and model-based epistemology. She has held prestigious visiting professorships at Yale and the University of Virginia.

Education: PhD from the Courtauld Institute (London University), MA from University of Chicago, BS from University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Research focuses on spatial practices, historical visualization, and the intersection of art/architecture with science/technology. Recent work explores digital modeling, climate change representation, and the ethics of architectural preservation. Teaching includes courses on contemporary architecture, urban gentrification, and cultural visualization methodologies.

Awards include distinguished professorships and recognition for interdisciplinary contributions. She actively serves on academic committees at Duke, including leadership roles in the Center for Late Ancient Studies and Immersive Worlds Working Group. She has presented globally on topics like Jerusalem's architectural symbolism, digital games as historical artifacts, and the socio-political dimensions of built environments.