Today our Art History and Archaeology program comprises about eighty majors and twenty graduate students. Our PhD program is one of the oldest in the midwest, and we have a long record of placing our MA and PhD students in academic and museum positions, as well as in non-profit and gallery positions. Recent graduates have accepted positions at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, National Gallery of Art, University of Oklahoma, New York University, Covenant College, Wright State University, Northern Arizona University, Gettysburg College, Bucknell University, University of Illinois at Springfield, Ithaca College, Saint Louis Art Museum, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kimbell Art Museum and Southern Methodist University, among others.

Graduate Alumni
We want to hear from you!
If you are an alum, we invite you to send us your news (or update what we have recorded for you here). What are you doing, what degrees have you recently finished, what have you researched or published?
keep in touchWhere are they now?
PhD Alumni
2023
Lacy Murphy, Scholar-in-Residence and Teaching Fellow, University of Houston
2022
Tola Porter, Museum Educator for Academic and Public Programs, Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
2021
Kirsten Marples, Assistant Curator, Menil Drawing Institute
Lindsay Sheedy, Assistant Director, National and International Scholarships Office, Purdue University
Orin Zahra, Associate Curator, National Museum of Women in the Arts
2020
Amanda Beresford, Independent Art Historian, France
Max Valsamas, Curatorial Assistant, European Art, Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Queen’s University
2019
Kate Harnish, Senior Tutor at the Writing Center and Graduate Support Coordinator, Washington University in St. Louis
Mia Laufer, Irene Leache Curator of European Art at the Chrysler Museum of Art
Holly Chen, Collections Assistant/Department Manager, Department of Asian Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art
2018
Stephanie Kaplan, Professor of Art History, Savannah College of Art and Design
Jennifer Padgett, Associate Curator and Windgate Curator of Craft, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
Heather Read, Research Associate, Leonard A. Lauder Research Center for Modern Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
2017
James Anno, Associate Curator of European Art, Museum of Fine Arts Houston
2015
Clara Barnhart, Adjunct Associate Professor at Hampshire College
Bryna Campbell, Co-owner of Art Nature Place in Portland, Oregon
Erin Sutherland, Adjunct Instructor, Meramec Community College
2014
Jodi Kovach, Director of Academic Programs, Gund Gallery, Kenyon College
Theresa Huntsman, Major Gifts Officer, Seattle Art Museum
Matthew Bailey, Director of Windgate Gallery and Assistant Professor, University of Arkansas, Fort Smith
2013
Emily Burns, Director of the Charles M. Russell Center for the Study of Art of the American West and Associate Professor of Art History in the School of Visual Arts, University of Oklahoma
Sarah McGavran, Editor, National Portrait Gallery
Anna Warbelow, Director of Equity and Inclusion, Whitfield School
Elissa Weichbrocht, Associate Professor of Art History, Covenant College
2011
Ling-Yu Hung [deceased 2018], former Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Indiana University-Bloomington
2009
Carrie Hillard, Associate Professor, Wright State University
Noelle Paulson, Hosoya Schaefer Architects, Zurich, Switzerland
2008
Mayu Fujikawa, Associate Professor, Meiji University
MA Alumni
2023
Madi Hester, Graduate Program Coordinator, School of Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis
Elizabeth Mangone, Curatorial Research Assistant, Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Washington University in St. Louis
Ela Sutcu, Content Manager, Interpretation, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
2021
Emily Bryan, Upper School History Teacher, The Fulton School
Jenny Wu, Associate Editor at ArtReview
2020
Hannah Wier, PhD student, Department of Art History and Archaeology, Washington University in St. Louis
Hua Zhao
2019
Victoria Barry, Senior Editorial Associate, University of Chicago Press
Holly Chen, Collections Assistant/Department Manager, East Asian Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art
2016
Lindsay Sheedy, Assistant Director, National and International Scholarships Office, Purdue University
Margaret Sherer, Research and Curatorial Associate, Barrett Barrera Projects
2014
Sarah Griesbach, journalist, co-founder of All the Art, arts journal in St. Louis
2013
Elizabeth Wolfson, Ph.D. in Classical Art, University of Missouri-Columbia
James Gardner, Library Associate, Kranzberg Art and Architecture Library, Washington University
Winnie Tsang, History Teacher at Garrison Forrest School, and Adjunct Art History Lecturer at Towson University
2012
Emily Hanson, Head of Study Abroad Cortona Program, University of Georgia
Aliya Reich, Program Manager for Conferences and Events - Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR)
Ashley Eckhardt, a Ph.D. student in Classical Art and Archaeology, Emory University
2011
Eric Hupe, Assistant Professor, Lafayette College
Maria Fierro, Cultural Programs Officer at the French Cultural Center in Boston, MA
Julia Reardon, Law School graduate, University of Michigan
2010
Samantha Wilson, English Faculty and Soccer Coach, Saint Mark’s School, Boston, MA
2008
Emilie Boone, Assistant Professor of Art History, New York University
Graduate Alumni Spotlight
Below are interviews with recent alumni, conducted by Masters students. These interviews discuss the Department of Art History and Archaeology, graduate school at Washington University in St. Louis, and diverse career paths for PhD students and graduates.

Orin Zahra

Theresa Huntsman
