Roger Travis

Roger Travis is an Associate Professor of Classics in the Department of Literatures, Cultures & Languages at the University of Connecticut. He serves as Director of the Video Games and Human Values Initiative, an interdisciplinary platform for exploring the intersection of video games and classical studies through symposia and collaborative discussions.

• Education:
  • A.B., magna cum laude with highest honors in Classics, Harvard College, 1990
  • M.A. and Ph.D. in Comparative Literature, University of California, Berkeley, 1992 & 1996

Research Interests span the integration of video games and digital culture with classical texts, focusing on Homeric epic, Greek tragedy, and historiography. He pioneers practomimetic learning, an educational approach using role-playing games (RPGs) and alternate reality games (ARGs) to teach curricula narratively.

Travis has contributed to discussions on the narrative structures of the 19th-century British novel, the HALO series, and massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). He co-founded the collaborative blog Play the Past and maintains Living Epic, examining parallels between ancient epic and modern gaming.

• Leadership Roles:
  • President, Classical Association of New England
  • President, Classical Association of Connecticut

Contact: roger.travis@uconn.edu | Office: Oak 230 | Office Hours: Tuesday/Thursday 9:50-10:50 or by appointment