Get to Know Jordan Cohen
Our newest hire, Jordan Cohen joined our department as Assistant Teaching Professor in Fall 2024. We asked Dr. Cohen a few questions – see her answers below.
What drew you to studying the ancient Greeks and Romans?
I was initially drawn into studying the ancient Greeks and Romans when I took a course in ancient philosophy as an undergraduate. I was fascinated by the exploration of ideas I too often took for granted and from there only became more interested in how the Greeks and Roman culturally and intellectually understood their own world. I'm also sure growing up with Disney's Hercules didn't hurt.
What classes or types of classes are you / will you be teaching at SCU?
I'm currently teaching a culture course on barbarians and will soon be teaching ancient Greek and Latin language courses. In addition, I look forward to teaching classes on ancient medicine and how ideas around the body and healing developed and changed throughout antiquity.
What research or professional development projects are you currently working on?
Currently, I am working on an article that examines medical titles as a tool for advancement in the ancient world, especially for people who were enslaved. I'm interested in the way enslaved peoples could both claim medical expertise, as well as when they were denied it, and what that meant for their potential freedom and livelihood. I also have a chapter in a book coming out soon that compares medical experimentation in the ancient Mediterranean and in the Atlantic world and how it reflects different conceptions of personhood.
Who / what is your favorite Greek or Latin author / text, and why?
I have a love/hate relationship with Galen. He has such a wide range of surviving works that you can find a lot of interesting tidbits in and he sometimes gives a look into aspects of everyday ancient life, but he's also a bit self-absorbed and pompous. In some sense, he's really fun to dislike!
What excites you about teaching undergraduates?
One of the most exciting aspects of undergraduate education is the wide range of discovery you get to enjoy. This means undergraduates always bring new reactions, ideas, and interpretations to the ancient world, which makes it all the more interesting for me as well.
Favorite holiday tradition?: Watching the indisputably best adaptation of A Christmas Carol: 1992's The Muppet Christmas Carol.