Biography

Ana earned her Ph.D. in the History of Art and Architecture from the University of California Santa Barbara. Her interests span the ancient world to the present. She’s especially interested in how we can develop sustainable ways of living, building, and creating by studying ancient cultures. She has published nationally and internationally with Cambridge Journals, International Journal of the Classical Tradition and Southeastern College Art Conference. Ana was awarded the Society of Architectural Historians Travel Fellowship to Venice and Croatia, and received the Andrew Vincent White and Florence Wales White Graduate Student Scholarship in the amount of $20,000 for support of her dissertation on healing and the natural landscape in the ancient world. 

Ask Me

Who are your role models or inspiring folks?

My fiancé, who is a critical care nurse. My family. 

Outside of art and design fields, what inspires you?

Horseback riding inspires me to be physically strong and mentally sharp. Nature and travel are also great ways to generate new ideas. I have vivid memories of once in a lifetime adventures that continue to inspire me: climbing Half Dome, standing on the Parthenon, and seeing Rome from the top of the Column of Trajan. They make me believe in possibility.

What do you wish you had known when you started out as a student/in this field?

What student loan debt means for the future and how to tackle it. I actually had to teach myself how to do that, and I aim to be loan free by 2020. I always knew art history would be an adventure, and it continues to be one. I wish I had known how to ask for more opportunities as a student. Be bold if you want to challenge yourself and grow! 

What was your most memorable meal?

I would say pasta al nero di seppia (squid ink pasta) on my first visit to Venice. Look at this dish! It plays with your expectations. It’s not what it seems.

In your office, you can only have three things, one book, one tool, and one picture. What would they be and why?

Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations because all of life’s secrets are contained within that book, a laptop (I consider it a tool, otherwise it’s just a waste of time), and a picture of a kitten playing with a ball of yarn because that’s just delightful.