Dr. Deborah Beck

Professor

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Biography

Deborah Beck is a faculty member at the University of Texas at Austin, where she holds the Christie Stanley E. Adams, Jr. Centennial Professorship. She completed her PhD at Harvard University in 1997, focusing on classical antiquity and epic poetry. Her scholarship has significantly contributed to the study of Homeric speech and poetic techniques, especially in ancient Greek and Roman epics. Beck's early fascination with Greek mythology, sparked by childhood readings of D'Aulaires' collections, led her to pursue a career in Classics, transitioning from Biology to focusing on language and literature. After various teaching roles including positions at Rice University, Colgate University, Pennsylvania State University, and Swarthmore College, she returned to Texas in 2009. Her research interests encompass digital humanities, emotional responses to poetry, and cultivating effective learning environments in academia. Beck has received numerous awards for her teaching excellence, including the Leslie Waggener Centennial Teaching Fellowship and the Provost's Teaching Fellow award, evidencing her commitment to mentoring and student engagement. In addition to her teaching, she hosts a podcast series on Greek literature and is co-authoring databases on key themes in ancient works. Becky balances her professional life with a love for mystery novels and classical music.

Research Interests

Experience

Professor

2009-01-01 — Present

University of Texas at Austin • Austin, TX

Teaching and researching in Classical Studies, focusing on Greek epic poetry, digital humanities, and pedagogy.

Awards

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Public Intellectuals Program

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Leslie Waggener Centennial Teaching Fellowship

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Dean’s Faculty Mentoring Award

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Award for Excellence in Teaching of Classics

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Provost’s Teaching Fellow

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Award for Excellence in Faculty Teaching

2019-05-01
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Humanities Texas Grant Winner

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Plumer Visiting Research Fellowship

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Humanities Research Award

Courses

Beginning Greek Intermediate Greek: Homer, Plato, Lysias, Herodotus, Euripides Intermediate Latin: Cicero, Love Elegy, Ovid, Catullus Advanced Greek: Homer, Greek Drama, Aristophanes, Sophocles Advanced Latin: Petronius, Ovid, Horace, Vergil Survey Greek Literature Classical Mythology Introduction to Western Literature

Requirements for University of Texas at Austin

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
GRE General
TOEFL
Total
Required:79
IELTS
Overall
Required:6.5
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Application fee
  • Official transcripts
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • CV/Resume
Specialization Notes

General requirements for the Graduate School at UT Austin apply to all programs unless otherwise specified.