معرفی
Joanne Phillips serves as Associate Professor in both the Classical Studies and History departments within Tufts University's School of Arts and Sciences. She joined the department in 1977 and was promoted to Associate Professor in 1983, becoming the second woman to receive tenure in the department. Her groundbreaking work bridges humanities and sciences through specialized courses in ancient medicine.
Her educational background includes:
- PhD in Classical Philology from Harvard University (1977)
- AM in Classical Philology from Harvard University (1971)
- AB in Classics from Boston University (1968)
Professor Phillips specializes in Ancient Greek and Roman Medicine, with particular expertise in medical texts from antiquity, Lucretius' De Rerum Natura, and the intersection of classical studies with modern medical education. Her research has significantly contributed to establishing ancient medicine as a legitimate field within Classics, focusing on editing, translation, and elucidation of Greek and Latin medical texts. She has presented at numerous international colloquia across Europe and served as the United States representative for planning international conferences on ancient medical texts.
Her publication record demonstrates consistent focus on ancient medical traditions, with particular attention to Lucretius, Galen, Pliny, and Dioscorides. The articles reveal a scholarly trajectory that helped establish ancient medicine as a legitimate field of study within Classics, moving from textual analysis to broader implications for understanding the development of Western medical thought.
Her notable achievements include:
- Receiving the Mellon Fellowship in 1982 (first woman at Tufts to secure this fellowship)
- Being the second woman to receive tenure in the Classical Studies department (1983)
- International recognition for her pedagogical approach at the Medical History in Practice conference in Uppsala, Sweden (2014)
Professor Phillips has developed two highly influential courses: Classics 146 (The History of Ancient Greek and Roman Medicine), taken by over 2,000 students since 1977, and Classics 176 (Ancient Medicine Seminar), which has engaged 232 undergraduates in capstone research projects. Her seminar model directly inspired the creation of the annual interdisciplinary Tufts University Research Symposium in 1999. She has also served on numerous university committees including the Health Professions Recommendations Committee since 1995 and as Tisch Library Liaison.
As American Correspondent to the Centre Jean Palerne (1987-1992), she documented American research activity for Informations, the leading international newsletter devoted to ancient Greek and Roman medicine. Her current research continues to focus on the Liber Medicinalis Quinti Sereni, a Latin medical poem from Late Antiquity.
