Alexandra A. Carpino
Title: Associate Professor of Art History
Department: Humanities, Arts, and Religion
Degrees:
A.B., Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology, Bryn Mawr College
M.A., Art History, University of Iowa
Ph.D., Art History, University of Iowa
Biography
I am originally from Amherst, Massachusetts. I knew I wanted to teach on the college level while in graduate school when I became a teaching assistant for a large art history class at the University of Iowa. I loved sharing my enthusiasm for art with the students, and they appreciated it when I talked about all the works I had seen in person. I began teaching here in 1998. I teach the following undergraduate courses: ARH 141 and 142: general surveys of art history from Prehistoric times to the modern era; ARH 340: Etruscan art; ARH 341: Greek art; ARH 342: Roman art; ARH 440: Classical Women and Art; HAR 301W: Junior Seminar (Art and Religion in the Ancient World).
I love to cook and specialize in Mediterranean cuisine and desserts (this summer I made 8 cakes for a colleague's wedding); I also mountain bike, hike, and enjoy knitting and reading mysteries. I'm a member of the American Institute of Archaeology, the Etruscan Foundation, and the College Art Association. I was appointed as a member of the Etruscan Foundation's Advisory Board; this year, I served on the scholarship committee and awarded three students grants to do excavation work in Italy. Locally, I work with the Masterpieces of Art program, and presented a number of art works to students at the Switzer Mesa Montessori Charter School. I have received a variety of teaching and research-related awards, most recently a publication subvention grant of ś1000.00 from the Dr. M. Aylwin Cotton Foundation, Great Britain, to cover some of the costs of the photographs in my book, Discs of Splendor: The Relief Mirrors of the Etruscans (University of Wisconsin Press, 2003). I was also selected to chair a session at the 2006 College Art Association's Annual Meetings in Boston.
I was involved in the student club, HARmony in the Department of Humanities, Arts, and Religion and the Art History Movie/pizza nights.
My research interests center on the art and culture of the Etruscans, an Italic civilization that flourished from ca. 1000–100 BCE.
I love to cook and specialize in Mediterranean cuisine and desserts (this summer I made 8 cakes for a colleague's wedding); I also mountain bike, hike, and enjoy knitting and reading mysteries. I'm a member of the American Institute of Archaeology, the Etruscan Foundation, and the College Art Association. I was appointed as a member of the Etruscan Foundation's Advisory Board; this year, I served on the scholarship committee and awarded three students grants to do excavation work in Italy. Locally, I work with the Masterpieces of Art program, and presented a number of art works to students at the Switzer Mesa Montessori Charter School. I have received a variety of teaching and research-related awards, most recently a publication subvention grant of ś1000.00 from the Dr. M. Aylwin Cotton Foundation, Great Britain, to cover some of the costs of the photographs in my book, Discs of Splendor: The Relief Mirrors of the Etruscans (University of Wisconsin Press, 2003). I was also selected to chair a session at the 2006 College Art Association's Annual Meetings in Boston.
I was involved in the student club, HARmony in the Department of Humanities, Arts, and Religion and the Art History Movie/pizza nights.
My research interests center on the art and culture of the Etruscans, an Italic civilization that flourished from ca. 1000–100 BCE.
What do you enjoy most about teaching at Northern Arizona University?
I enjoy the small class sizes, which allow me to get to know the students I teach each semester. I also enjoy their questioning nature and overall interest in the subjects I teach.
What do students like best about your class?
My enthusiasm for teaching and the fact that I've been to many of the places I discuss; this personal touch is often commented upon in student evaluations. Also, my extensive knowledge of the subjects I teach and my ability to present the material in a well-organized manner.
What makes the classroom experience at Northern Arizona University unique?
The small size of the classes I teach.
What has been your greatest success while teaching at Northern Arizona University?
Quite a few of my students have been accepted to graduate school not only in Art History but also in Museum Studies and Education. Many of these students have also been able to receive scholarships based on their excellent undergraduate records and the papers that they wrote in my classes. It's wonderful when all of our hard work pays off in this way. In addition, two of my students were given the college's Standard Bearer Award, one of the highest academic honors a student can receive from the college, and this made me extremely proud. Finally, I was asked by several majors to lead a spring break trip to Rome; I was touched by their faith in me not only as a teacher but also as a potential tour leader. We took the trip in March 2004 and it was an outstanding success.
What is your favorite class to teach at Northern Arizona University and why?
I love teaching the Art History capstone course since it allows me to see how all the majors have grown and developed as scholars during their four years at NAU. It's also a seminar class so it provides a welcome break from the usual lecture format and allows the students to engage themselves in a variety of thought-provoking discussions. I also enjoy teaching the surveys of Art History, ARH 141-142, since these classes are taken by a whole range of NAU students, many of whom have never been exposed to art history before. Although a vast amount of material is covered in these classes, students usually end the semester with an amazing appreciation for the diversity of art and the myriad values/social conditions embodied within them. A number of these students are so impressed with the discipline that they change their major to Art History because of the class. This is another thing that I enjoy about teaching these surveys.
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