We are pleased to report that the Assyriology conference planned for February 27 is coming together nicely. The title and topic is "Ancient History: Assyriological Perspectives" and the field of participants is impressive.

We are pleased to share with you information about a just-published book edited by John Steele, with contributions by many of our department members: Yuzhen Guan, M. Willis Monroe, Matthew Rutz, Zackary Wainer and our former Post-Doc Andreas Winkler.

Zackary Wainer successfully defended his dissertation Monday, April 4, and the Egyptology and Assyriology Department happily gathered to congratulate him. We join his family in celebrating his achievements and in wishing him the very best going forward. Well Done, Zack!

The gathering of several preeminent Assyriologists at Brown on Saturday, February 27 resulted in a wonderful exchange of knowledge and ideas.

We are delighted to share with you that Laurel Bestock has been promoted to Associate Professor, with tenure, effective July 1, 2016.

Congratulations to Yuzhen Guan, PhD ’15, for his position as a ResearchProfessor (tenure Track) at the University of Science and Technology of China, in the Department of History of Science and Scientific Archaeology.

The life and work of Otto Neugebauer (1899-1990), founder of Brown's Department of History of Mathematics and recipient of Brown's most prestigious honor, the Rosenberger medal, in 1987, is examined in a newly published book, A Mathematicians Journey's: Otto Neugebauer and Modern Transformations of Ancient Science, co-edited by the department's John Steele.