The Humanities Council has named Barbara Graziosi (Classics) and Simon Morrison (Music and Slavic Languages and Literatures) as Behrman Professors in the Humanities. The appointment recognizes dedicated humanities scholars and teachers from within the University community.
Behrman Professors serve a three-year term in the Program in Humanistic Studies, where they lead the yearlong Humanities Sequence “Interdisciplinary Approaches to Western Culture,” co-teach a capstone seminar in the program, and help to build community among students pursuing the minor in humanistic studies.
Graziosi is the Ewing Professor of Greek Language and Literature and professor in the Department of Classics. Her research focuses on ancient Greek literature and its reception through time and across the globe. Recently, Graziosi co-founded “Logion: Machine Learning for Greek Philology,” alongside colleagues in mathematics and computer science. Funded by a Humanities Council Magic Grant, the project uses machine learning to restore ancient Greek texts.
Graziosi co-taught “Interdisciplinary Approaches to Western Culture” in Fall 2024 and will coordinate the course in the academic year 2026-27. “One of the most enjoyable aspects of [HUM 216-219] is that we all learn and teach together, students and professors. This is not just a cliché, it is concrete reality,” she said. “The syllabus is so rich that no one person can ever hope to gain full command of it – the best we can do is work together to explore the connections between different texts, artefacts, pieces of music, and philosophical ideas.”
Morrison is a professor in the Department of Music and the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures. He also directs the Humanities Council’s Fund for Canadian Studies. An archival historian, Morrison specializes in 20th-century Russian and Soviet music with expertise in opera, dance, film, sketch studies, and historically informed performance. His most recent publication, “Tchaikovsky’s Empire: A New Life of Russia’s Greatest Composer,” was awarded the Reginald Zelnik Book Prize in History.
Morrison will begin his official term as a Behrman Professor next year and coordinate the course in the 2027-28 academic year. “Teaching in [this sequence] has been my most challenging, exciting, and rewarding experience in my two decades in the Princeton classroom. The collegiality of the faculty, excellence of the students, and capaciousness of the texts generate an intellectual energy that gives off both light and heat,” he said. “That warmth has radiated across years, as I continue to dialogue with former students and colleagues as well as with the course itself; almost daily I find myself referencing texts, lectures, and discussions from [the course].”
Beatrice Kitzinger (Art & Archaeology) is currently leading the sequence, and Michael Wachtel (Slavic Languages and Literatures) is co-teaching the Program in Humanistic Studies capstone course, “The Faust Tradition,” with Dean of the College Michael Gordin (History).
The Humanities Council is now accepting applications for a new Behrman Professor in the Humanities, to start a three-year term in 2027-28. The deadline is April 6, 2026.
