Search Gustavus

Stay overnight at Gustavus: admitted students get paired with a host, participate in daily student life, and enjoy events and meals in residence halls. What to know.

Discover meditation and mindfulness practices at Gustavus—open to all seeking reflection, peace, and spiritual well-being.

Read the latest news from Gustavus Adolphus College. Discover campus updates, student stories, faculty achievements, and press releases all in one place.

Matt Panciera is an associate professor of Greek, Latin, and Classical Studies. He truly enjoys teaching the languages - all levels of Greek and Latin - in addition to a wide range of classical studies courses; everything from Greek tragedy to Roman history. His research focuses on the incredible treasure trove of information found in the Pompeian graffiti scratched into the walls of the ancient city by its beautifully ordinary inhabitants before it was buried under the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. He is extremely grateful to have been awarded on three occasions a NEH Summer Seminar for K-12 teachers where they, together with a team of distinguished scholars, explored the topic of of Roman daily life as seen in the Roman novelist Petronius and the archaeological and epigraphical remains of Pompeii. He has also worked on Roman funerary inscriptions including the epitaph of the unforgettable freedwoman, Allia Potestas.

Matt feels fortunate to have been hired on four different occasions by the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome and he is a passionate advocate for teaching and learning on site. He always finds himself experiencing ideas, making connections, and asking questions that would never occur to him without the inspiration of standing in the place where the ancient Greeks and Romans once lived their lives. He is happy to teach a class where the students "nerd out" and dive deep into the Greeks and Romans for their own sake. But ultimately he believes, both for himself and his students, the greatest benefit of spending time with the Greeks and Romans is how much we learn about ourselves and what we want to make of our own world.  

If pressed, on most days he would say his favorite classical authors to read in the original language are Homer and Ovid. He recognizes the beauty of Greek and the genius of so much that came to fruition in Athens in the 5th century BCE—the histories of Herodotus and Thucydides, the birth of western philosophy, tragedy (Sophocles is his favorite)—but he is more at home in Latin and loves the way that reading Petronius and Pompeian graffiti feels like looking through a window directly at the ancient Romans. His favorite classical building is the Pantheon in Rome and his favorite site is Segesta in Sicily.

Outside of work he loves to cook for his family, visit the Boundary Waters, root for all the Boston teams (but also the Vikings), play golf, and exercise.
  

The official hub for the Gustavus varsity baseball team. Discover information about the Gustavus baseball team, including the team’s roster, schedule, statistics, coaching staff, game results, and news.

The official hub for the Gustavus varsity football team. Discover information about the Gustavus basketball team, including the team’s roster, schedule, statistics, coaching staff, game results, and news.

The official hub for the Gustavus women's gymnastic team. Discover information about the Gustavus gymnastic team, including the team’s roster, schedule, statistics, coaching staff, meet results, and news.

The official hub for the Gustavus varsity men's track and field team. Discover information about the team, including the team’s roster, schedule, statistics, coaching staff, meet results, and news.

The official hub for the Gustavus varsity women's track and field team. Discover information about the team, including the team’s roster, schedule, statistics, coaching staff, meet results, and news.

The official hub for the Gustavus varsity mens' basketball team. Discover information about the Gustavus basketball team, including the team’s roster, schedule, statistics, coaching staff, game results, and news.

The official hub for the Gustavus varsity men's hockey team. Discover information about the Gustavus hockey team, including the team’s roster, schedule, statistics, coaching staff, game results, and news.