Kristina Olson is an assistant professor of Italian in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages. She is currently the coordinator of the Italian Program at Mason, where she coordinates all levels of language instruction and supervises Mason's study-abroad programs in Florence, Rome and Sicily through the Center for Global Education. 

While her field of specialization is in medieval studies, specifically the works of Dante Alighieri and Giovanni Boccaccio, Olson is interested in diachronic questions of Italian culture both in its peninsular (Italian) and diasporic (i.e., Italian-American) manifestations.

Olson has published articles and reviews on modern and medieval Italian literature. She is also co-editor of the anthology titled "Open City: Seven Writers in Postwar Rome." She holds Ph.D. and M.A. degrees in Italian Literature from Columbia University. 

Martin Winkler is a University Professor of Classics in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages.

He teaches classical Greek and Roman literature, culture and mythology with special emphasis on the importance of the past for the presence. His special area of interest is the representation of the Roman Empire in American popular culture, especially in Hollywood epics such as "Spartacus" and "Gladiator." He also specializes in American and European film adaptations of ancient literature and myth.

He has published several articles on classical and medieval culture and mythology in film. He is the author of the books titled "Cinema and Classical Texts: Apollo's New Light" and "The Roman Salute: Cinema, History, Ideology."