Dr Elton Barker

BIOGRAPHY

Dr Elton Barker is Reader in Classical Studies, having joined The Open University as a Lecturer in July 2009. Before then, he had been a Tutor and Lecturer at Christ Church, Oxford (2004-9), and also lectured at Bristol, Nottingham and Reading.

He came to Classical Studies late - my "A" levels were in English, Geography and Mathematics. He studied Classical Civilisation at the University of Leeds, and went on to do a Masters in Greek Civilisation there, and then, in order to learn the languages, a further Masters in Greek and Latin at Ohio State University in the USA. For his PhD, he studied in Cambridge (Pembroke College), where he investigated representations of verbal contest - or agon - in different ancient Greek genres, under the supervision of Simon Goldhill and Paul Cartledge.

He has been a Junior Research Fellow at Wolfson College, Cambridge (2002-4) and a Visiting Fellow at Venice International University (2003-4). From 2012-2013, he had a Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers awarded by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for research at the Freie Universität Berlin and the University of Leipzig. He has been awarded a Graduate Teaching Award from Pembroke College (Cambridge) and twice won awards from the University of Oxford for an Outstanding Contribution to Teaching.