Assistant Professor, History Department

While she has yet to move the Great Pyramids to Springfield, Dr. Julia Troche’s passion for all things Egypt, has certainly brought the ancient world to life for her students and fellow community members. In 2020, Dr. Troche co-founded the Missouri chapter of the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE-MO).  In addition to hosting an annual Missouri Egyptological Symposium, the chapter brings together a diverse community from across the state. The symposium offers the opportunity for Egyptology students, instructors, and avid hobbyists to discuss recent findings and central themes of ancient Egyptian culture.

Always looking to connect her passions to the larger community, Dr. Troche offers service components for students to delve deeper into the content and partners with local K-12 schools to share her discoveries.  As Vice President of ARCE-MO, she is able to enhance student opportunities to travel to conferences and purchase educational resources through her personal fundraising efforts. Recently, she published her first book, Death, Power, and Apotheosis in Ancient Egypt: the Old and Middle Kingdom, where she discusses the living power of Egypt’s dead through ancient Egyptian mortuary culture.  In her free time, Julia enjoys playing tennis, trivia, and took part in a quarantine movie club to stay engaged during COVID.

Overall, Dr. Troche’s desire to learn and educate has opened up unprecedented access to ancient Egypt in the Ozarks, and she hopes to further her engagement going forward.

Interview and spotlight provided by Cole Howerton, graduate assistant, Office of Public Affairs Support.