Our Management
David Danzig
I received my PhD in Ancient Near Eastern History from New York University's Institute for the Study of the Ancient World in 2022. I founded SASA in 2020, in response to the concern I feel for the future of Ancient Studies. My experiences teaching and studying at universities and working at nonprofits, my passion for the ancient world, and my talent for bringing people together led me to take action. I am so proud to be part of a team of wonderful individuals, committed to sharing the ancient world and Ancient Studies. My scholarship focuses on mining ancient texts for social information to build understandings of how ancient immigrants adapted and their identities developed in their new contexts. I am also creator and Lead Researcher of the Shanati Project, supported by a Digital Humanities Advancement Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, working to reconstruct the daily ancient Babylonian Calendar. Please see my scholarship at nyu.academia.edu/DavidDanzig. I live in New Jersey with my wife and three beautiful children.
Lauren Kubosch
Although my work life has turned away from ancient studies since I received my BA in Classical Civilizations, I have always been passionate about ancient history and wanted to find a way back into the field. Through SASA I have been able to re-connect with academia, and in a way that highlights inclusivity, outreach, and education at every level. Working with amazing scholars in various ancient history fields through SASA encourages me even more to promote the importance of ancient studies, to further explore my passion in the field, and strive towards inclusion and innovation in ancient studies as a whole to keep these important fields alive and thriving! I love to travel and document not only ancient sites, but also artifacts and collections I see to share and help spread the knowledge and interest in the ancient world.
Valeria Zubieta Lupo
I am an Assyriologist with a focus on Hittitology. My current research interests are Hittite and Mesopotamian medicine, as well as the perception of diseased and disabled within the Anatolia of the second millennium. Right now I am working on a book about Hittite medical recipes. My experiences in the study and research of the ancient world made me very passionate about inclusivity and accessibility to education. I am very interested in understanding the current state of ancient studies, its problems, and weaknesses to hopefully bring a positive contribution to achieve a better future for the field and its people. And through SASA I have been able to combine each one of these passions.
John Haberstroh
I want to make the ancient world more accessible for everyone! I got involved with SASA because I want to inspire young people and life-long learners to pursue areas of interest in the ancient world, whether casually or in higher education. I am currently an Assistant Professor-in-Residence of Ancient World History at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. My research and teaching interests focus on the ancient Mediterranean with special interests in collective/local Greek identity, race and ethnicity, ancient athletics, religion, archaeology, and mythography. I completed my Ph.D. in History at the University of California, Riverside in June 2022. I have traveled to Greece, Turkey, and Italy several times, and I even lived in Athens for eight months in 2017-2018. These travels were foundational for my love and study of ancient Greece. Many great mentors encouraged me along my educational journey, and I want to pass on that curiosity and wonder to my students and the general public.
Kate Minniti
I have a PhD in Classical Archaeology from the Department of Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies at the University of British Columbia. I have a Master’s Degree in Art History and Archaeology from NYU and one in Egyptian Archaeology from UCL. I have been working as a field archaeologist around the Mediterranean for a decade, and since 2015 I am a senior member of the NYU-UniMi excavation in Selinunte (Italy).
My main research field is the study of Mediterranean connections during the Iron Age; my dissertation is an analysis of the reception, use, and meaning of Egyptian and Egyptianizing imports in Sicily.
I am also a gamer, and have become extremely active in researching how video games (mis)represent the Ancient World and archaeology - which is why I first got involved with the SASA archaeogaming project! I think it is important to recognize the impact that games have on the portrayal of Antiquity, and to address the positive and negative aspects of this new medium, without forgetting the fun that comes with playing!
Paige Brevick
I am currently a PhD Candidate in Egyptology at University College London. I am an archaeologist, museum curator, and educator - which is how I came to work in education at SASA. I love sharing the ancient world with others and finding new ways to connect the public with our ancient past. At SASA I lead the Archaeogaming Education team, where we design educational resources for teachers to use in the classroom, making ancient history accessible, relevant, and engaging. Outside of SASA I work in many roles teaching the public about archaeology, and leading programming for both children and adults. My scholarship focuses on exhibition strategy and narrative in Egyptology galleries. I am also a consultant on looting and antiquities trafficking for multiple projects in the Middle East, where I work as an archaeologist.
