Elizabeth Forbis Mazurek

Elizabeth Forbis Mazurek is an Associate Professor in the Department of Classics at the University of Notre Dame, within the College of Arts and Letters. She has been affiliated with Notre Dame since 1990, initially as an Assistant Professor before advancing to her current rank in 1996. Her academic work bridges classical literature and epigraphy, with a focus on gender studies and Roman cultural history. Mazurek has directed the University's Rome Summer Program and contributed to interdisciplinary initiatives like the Aequora Program through her grants. She has held leadership roles in curriculum development at both the departmental and university levels, including chairing the Department of Classics from 2007 to 2016.

Dr. Mazurek earned a Ph.D. in Classics (1988) and M.A. in Latin (1985) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, alongside a B.A. in Greek with summa cum laude distinction (May 1983) from Dickinson College. She participated in the American Academy in Rome Classical Summer School in 1986, enhancing her expertise in classical scholarship.

Her research interests emphasize Latin literature, Roman epigraphy, and women and gender in classical antiquity. Mazurek’s monograph Municipal Virtues in the Roman Empire (1996) examines the language of praise in Roman municipal inscriptions. She specializes in Ovidian poetry, exploring themes like elegy, epic intertextuality, and gender dynamics in ancient texts. Her work also extends to pedagogical methods using epigraphical sources in history education.

Mazurek has been recognized with the Kaneb Teaching Award (2001) and multiple grants including NEH Travel to Collections (1992), Lilly Fellowships (1991–1992, 2003–2004), and ISLA fellowships. Her contributions to academic service include roles on the Core Curriculum Committee, Rome Global Gateway course committees, and leadership in gender studies initiatives. She actively reviews manuscripts for prominent journals like American Journal of Philology and Phoenix.

Her professional service includes extensive committee work in curriculum design, library oversight, and interdisciplinary studies. Mazurek co-chaired the Undergraduate Curriculum and Study Abroad Committee for the Rome Global Gateway and served on the Classics Graduate Committee. She has organized scholarly events and conferences focused on Roman literature and cultural history, reflecting her commitment to advancing classical scholarship.