AUC Establishes First Egyptology Endowed Professorship in the Middle East and Africa

The American University in Cairo (AUC) has established the Amelia Peabody Endowed Professorship and Research Fund in Egyptology, the first such professorship in the Middle East and Africa and one of few in the world. The new professorship and research fund will provide expanded opportunities for teaching, research, fieldwork and excavations. The inaugural professorship has been awarded to Distinguished University Professor of Egyptology Salima Ikram, a world-renowned Egyptologist and field archaeologist. 

“The purpose of this endowment is to advance fieldwork, research and teaching that deepen our understanding of Egypt’s past and strengthen the foundation for future scholarship,” said AUC President Ahmad Dallal. “Dr. Ikram’s work exemplifies the purpose of this new endowment: rigorous scholarship that serves knowledge and society.” 

Thanks to the generosity of a donor who wishes to remain anonymous and with the support of the Fourmi Legacy Foundation, the new professorship will provide significant resources to advance research and deepen understanding of Egypt’s ancient history.  “I am honored and delighted to be the first incumbent of the Amelia Peabody chair in Egyptology,” said Ikram.

“The generosity of the donor ensures that Egyptology will have a secure place at AUC.” The professorship has been instituted in order to sustain and develop Egyptology at AUC, and I very much hope to continue fostering Egyptology at the University as well as exposing AUCians to the richness of ancient Egyptian culture and emphasizing its links to the present.”
 
First joining AUC as a year-abroad student in 1985, Ikram “fell in love with Egypt,” and returned as a faculty member in 1995. She has since helped shape the University’s Egyptology department through her fieldwork, international partnerships and public engagement. Ikram has published numerous articles and books and led several field initiatives. Her research interests, including animal mummification, funeral archeology rock art, the environment, diet and disease, have led to groundbreaking discoveries, changing scholastic understandings of daily life in ancient Egypt. 

Through this professorship, Ikram will continue her groundbreaking work and follow the footsteps of its fictional namesake: Amelia Peabody. Peabody is the star of a series of historical mystery novels set in the late 19th century that feature an unconventional and daring Egyptologist, fascinated by Egypt and eager to uncover ancient mysteries. 

As a field, Egyptology is a cornerstone of the AUC community. Books on the subject remain among AUC Press’s all-time best sellers, including several by Ikram, such as Ancient Egypt: An Introduction, Death and Burial in Ancient Egypt, and Divine Creatures: Animal Mummies. Other Egyptology best sellers include Ancient Nubia: African Kingdoms on the Nile, Gods and Myths of Ancient Egypt, Nefertiti, Queen and Pharaoh of Egypt and Ancient Egyptian Jewelry. 

Emphasizing the importance of Egyptology as a field, Ikram concluded, “Teaching Egyptology at AUC is not only to create new Egyptologists, but also to expose Egyptian students to different aspects of their culture and history, to instill a sense of pride in their heritage and to make them more conscious of its value - not only to them and Egypt, but to the world.”