Kristina Sessa

Kristina Sessa is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at The Ohio State University. Her research focuses on the social and cultural history of Late Antiquity (ca. 250-700 CE), particularly the intersection between classical Roman culture and early Christianity in the late Roman West.

Education

• A.B. in Religion from Princeton University (1992)
• M.A. and Ph.D. in Ancient and Medieval History from University of California, Berkeley (2003)

Her work examines how physical environments, economic conditions, legal structures, and gender norms shaped late Roman institutions and practices. She is author of The Formation of Papal Authority in Late Antique Italy (2012), Daily Life in Late Antiquity (2018), and co-editor of A Companion to Ostrogothic Italy (2016). Current projects include a cultural and material history of disasters in Late Antiquity.

The general themes of her publications include Late Antiquity, Roman-Western Christianity, social practice, and post-Roman Italy. Her research integrates environmental, technological, and gendered perspectives into historical analysis.

Scientific Awards

• Fellow at American Academy in Rome (2001-2002)
• Fellow at Italian Academy for Advanced Studies in America at Columbia University (2006-2007)

Grants include support from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS). She currently serves as editor-in-chief of Studies in Late Antiquity, a peer-reviewed journal published by University of California Press.