Osman Umurhan (BA & Post-Baccalaureate, UCLA; MA/PhD, NYU) is a scholar of Roman literature whose primary research focuses on verse satire and other literary forms of the Roman Empire, with particular attention to questions of perception, interpretation, subjectivity, social, and political identity across genres. His first monograph, Juvenal’s Global Awareness: Circulation, Connectivity, and Empire (Routledge, 2018), applies theories of globalization to Juvenal’s poetry in order to examine how increased interconnectivity among ethnic, political, and cultural localities shapes Juvenal’s understanding of empire, imperialism, and Rome as a world in constant flux and motion. He is also co-author of Classical Antiquity in Heavy Metal Music (Bloomsbury, 2020), which explores the reception, reinterpretation, and reinvention of Greek and Roman antiquity within heavy metal culture. In addition to these select scholarly publications, Umurhan also serves as Chief Reader for the AP Latin National Exam and Curriculum, where he helps shape assessment standards and curricular directions for Latin instruction at the national level.

His current research includes cross-disciplinary approaches to the ancient world; emerging applications of complexity science to literary and cultural systems; ecological readings of Roman colonialism; staging in Greek and Roman comedy. Teaching interests include ancient uses and abuses of food; intersections between Roman and Gallic cultures of Provencal France; heavy metal music and cinematic receptions of classical antiquity.

When not in deep thought, Osman enjoys ping-pong, sunbathe, Mad magazine, and disco dance on vinyl.