Alexandra Carpino, PhD
Associate Professor and
Associate Chair
Riles 117
(928) 523-8801
Alexandra.Carpino@nau.edu
Background
Dr. Carpino grew up in Amherst, Massachusetts. She attended Bryn Mawr College in the early 1980s, and received her A.B. degree in Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology in 1986. She spent seven years at the University of Iowa pursing her Ph.D. in Art History (it was conferred in 1993). While at Iowa, she also had the opportunity to serve as a field researcher in connection with the archaeological excavations at the Etruscan site of Poggio Civitate (Murlo), not too far from Siena.
She met her husband, Shawn R. Skabelund, at Iowa (he received his MFA in Drawing in 1990). They have two children, Adrian and Chiara Rose. As a family, they enjoy traveling, hiking, camping, biking, cooking and art.
Research and Teaching Interests
Dr. Carpino’s dissertation focused on the Etruscans’ bronze mirrors, and her book, Discs of Splendor: The Relief Mirrors of the Etruscans (Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press, 2003), was based on this research. She continues to promote awareness of Etruscan culture through her teaching and her work as a member of the Advisory Board of The Etruscan Foundation (www.etruscanfoundation.org).
After teaching for five years at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dr. Carpino came to Flagstaff in 1998. She teaches the introductory western art surveys (ARH 141, ARH 142) and upper division courses in Greek, Etruscan and Roman art. She also organizes 10-day study abroad trips to Italy so that her students can experience art in its original context—during Spring Break 2007, she took 18 students to Florence, Siena and Pisa; her next trip, The Art of Rome, will take place during Spring Break 2010. She is also active in the Masterpiece Art Program of Flagstaff, a community organization which provides opportunities for elementary school children to become familiar with the work of local, national and international artists through monthly class visits and art projects.
Recent Publications & Conference Papers
“The Murder of Clytemnestra on Etruscan Bronze Mirrors,” The College Art Association’s Annual Meetings, Dallas, 2008.
“Dueling Warriors on Two Etruscan Bronze Mirrors from
the Fifth Century B.C.” in New
Perspectives on Etruria and Rome: Papers in Honor of Richard
D. De Puma, eds. Sinclair Bell
and Helen Nagy. Madison: The University of Wisconsin
Press, 2008.
“Reflections from the Tomb: Mirrors as Grave Goods in Hellenistic Tarquinia.” Etruscan Studies 12 (2008).
“A Taste for Violence: Images of Cruelty and Death in Etruscan Art,” The College Art Association’s Annual Meetings, Boston, 2006 (Chair and Discussant for the panel).
Professional Service/Awards
Associate Chair and Art History Program Coordinator, 2007-present
Assistant Chair and Director of Student Services, 2005-2007
Publication Subvention Grant, The Dr. M. Aylwin Cotton Foundation, Great Britain, 2002
Teaching and Learning Effectiveness Grant, Northern Arizona University, 2000