Sharon E. J. Gerstel

Sharon E. J. Gerstel is Professor of Byzantine Art and Archaeology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and serves as Director of the UCLA Stavros Niarchos Foundation Center for the Study of Hellenic Culture. She earned her Ph.D. from New York University's Institute of Fine Arts in 1993 and has established herself as a leading scholar in Byzantine studies with a focus on the intersection of ritual and art.

Gerstel's research spans multiple dimensions of Byzantine culture, with particular emphasis on architectural spaces, ritual practices, and acoustic environments. Her current projects include the "Soundscapes of Byzantium" initiative, co-directed with Chris Kyriakakis of USC, which investigates the acoustic properties of Byzantine church architecture, and the restoration of the church of Hagioi Theodoroi in Vamvaka, Mani. These projects demonstrate her innovative approach that combines traditional art historical methods with interdisciplinary techniques from acoustic engineering and digital reconstruction.

Her scholarly output reveals a consistent trajectory of exploring how physical spaces shaped religious experience in Byzantium. From her early work on architectural ceramics to her more recent investigations of acoustic environments, Gerstel has maintained focus on how material culture mediated spiritual experience. Her publications span books, journal articles, and edited volumes that have significantly advanced understanding of Byzantine art, archaeology, and ritual practice.

• 2016 Runciman Prize by the Anglo-Hellenic League
• Inaugural book prize by the International Center of Medieval Art
• Maria Theocharis Prize from the Christian Archaeological Society in Greece
• J. Simon Guggenheim Fellowship (2011-2012)
• 2019 Theodore Saloutos Award, American Hellenic Council
• 2019 Award from Hellenic Society of Constantinople
• Greece's Highest Honor (2021)

Gerstel has taught extensively at both undergraduate and graduate levels, offering courses ranging from Introduction to Medieval Art to specialized seminars on Late Byzantine Art and Archaeology, Hagia Sophia, and The Byzantine Village. Her fieldwork as an archaeologist in Greece, where she has served as both field director and ceramics specialist, complements her theoretical work and provides crucial empirical grounding for her interpretations of Byzantine material culture.