Ilia Lin is a first year M.A. student in Classical Studies. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colgate University with a major in Classical Studies and a double minor in Museum Studies and History.
Before enrolling at Columbia University, Ilia worked as a curatorial assistant, contributing to the organization of several exhibitions. Her subjects spanned a diverse range, from funerary art and ritual in the Han Dynasty and the symbolism of the Jaguar totem in ancient Mesoamerican civilizations to projects centered on digitization and cultural heritage preservation.
Ilia's keen interest in the Hellenistic world evolved and found a tangible outlet when she worked on the exhibition entitled "The Light of Ancient Roman Civilization: Masterpieces from the National Archaeological Museum of Naples." Here, she integrated perspectives from aesthetics, art history, and archaeology to delve into the concept of "beauty" as represented in artworks from early imperial Rome. Through this experience, she developed a growing interest in the reception of Greek art and literature in the Roman world.