Kristina Neumann

Kristina Neumann serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of History within the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Houston. Her interdisciplinary work bridges Roman historical scholarship with cutting-edge digital methodologies to reinterpret ancient societies and enhance public historical engagement.

Neumann earned her MA and PhD from the University of Cincinnati, establishing her expertise in applying computational approaches to classical studies. Her educational background directly informs her innovative research framework that challenges static historical narratives through data-driven analysis.

Her research spans Roman History, Digital Humanities, Numismatics, Ancient Syria, Spatial Politics, Classical Reception, and Digital Museums. Neumann critically examines how imperial powers and local communities interacted in ancient Antioch through coinage analysis, revealing dynamic identity formation rather than passive submission. She pioneers the use of Exploratory Data Analysis and digital mapping to visualize spatial politics, demonstrating how material culture reflects socio-political transformations across the Seleucid, Roman, and Byzantine periods.

Neumann's publication trajectory shows consistent innovation in merging numismatic evidence with geospatial technologies, particularly focused on Antioch's evolution as a cosmopolitan hub. Her work increasingly emphasizes public accessibility of ancient history through digital platforms, moving beyond traditional academic outputs to create immersive educational experiences that connect ancient material culture with contemporary audiences.

Her recognition includes:

• 2021 National Endowment for the Humanities: Digital Projects for the Public Grant for SYRIOS
• 2021 Loeb Classical Library Foundation Fellowship
• 2021 UH Teaching Excellence Award

As an educator, Neumann teaches undergraduate and graduate courses spanning early civilizations, ancient history, classical reception, and digital museum curation. She actively mentors students through the UH Mellon Research Scholars Program, Senior Honors Thesis Program, REACH Program, and graduate degree pathways. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes critical thinking development through hands-on engagement with historical sources and digital tools, evidenced by her university-wide teaching award.

Neumann co-directs the SYRIOS digital humanities project (https://syrios.uh.edu), which democratizes access to ancient Syrian coins and narratives. She also serves on the UH Center for Public History steering committee and produces the "Public Historians at Work" podcast, demonstrating her commitment to bridging academic research with community-oriented historical practice.