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Skidmore College

Video: Computer coding meets the classics

August 11, 2021
by Chris Cruz and James Helicke

Creative, cross-disciplinary learning experiences with faculty, including opportunities for collaborative research, lie at the heart of a Skidmore education.  

That spirit of learning together goes on full display during presentations at the conclusion of the Summer Faculty Student Research Program, which brings together students and faculty for cutting-edge research.  

This summer, research topics ranged from a project involving Sarah Baker ’21, Associate Professor of Anthropology Heather Hurst '97, and GIS Center for Interdisciplinary Research Director Charlie Bettigole to map Maya agricultural and hydraulic features in Guatemala, to collaboration between Minghuang Wang ’23 and Assistant Professor of Social Work June Paul on practices to engage LGBTQ youth.  

In this video, Associate Professor and Chair of the Classics Department Dan Curley and Nicky Kiernan ’21 discuss their work to develop a historical, computer-based adventure game for use in introductory Latin courses.  

Drawing on as approaches as varied as anthropology, psychology, and computer coding, Curley and Kiernan are allowing students to experience ancient Rome firsthand as they together aim for “a revitalization of interest by modern students in the classics.”

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