Dr. Lien Van Geel

Biography

Lien Van Geel is a lecturer in the Department of Classics at Columbia University, where she specializes in the literature and gender studies of ancient Rome. She received her Ph.D. in Classics from Columbia University in October 2022, focusing her dissertation on 'Soror Augusti: Literary Lives and Afterlives of Octavia Minor.' Her research interests converge on historiography and the literary representations of female experiences in early Rome, especially during the Late Republic and Early Empire. She is particularly passionate about Augustan poetry and has various book projects underway, including 'Crafting Roman Women in Plutarch’s Parallel Lives' under contract with Bloomsbury Academic. A second project, provisionally titled 'Augustus’ Kinswomen in Augustan Poetry,' aims to systematically study the literary representations of the imperial family, particularly the female figures surrounding Emperor Augustus. Her teaching profile emphasizes Latin, offering courses that explore from beginning Latin to advanced selections from authors like Cicero and topics including gendered mythology and the Age of Augustus. Lien is actively engaged in scholarly communications, with forthcoming articles addressing minor characters in classical texts and their significance in literary narratives.

Research Interests