As of Sept. 1, 2022, Dr. Tana Allen is Acting Vice-President (Research). 

She was previously appointed Acting Associate Vice-President (Research) during Dr. Ray Gosine’s administrative leave as Associate Vice-President (Research).

Dr. Allen works closely with senior and academic leaders, as well as key administrative staff, to achieve the strategic objectives of the research portfolio and enhance Memorial’s international reputation for cutting-edge research.

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Biography

From July 2020-March 2022, Dr. Allen was the associate dean (research) in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

A professor with the Department of Classics, Dr. Allen is trained as a classical archaeologist and social historian.

Her academic output focuses both on ancient architecture and medical practices and on the ways in which ancient Greek and Roman ideas shape the modern world. A significant focus of her research has been the development of ancient Roman healing spas and their integration into concepts of health within ancient society with close examination of the experience of the individual within a social context, rather than the development of the institution.

As an academic administrator, Dr. Allen served as department head for 13 years and was instrumental in rebuilding the Department of Classics at Memorial.

Her current research areas include Classical architecture representation in our modern world; Classical motifs in pop culture, including Broadway theatres; and ancient Roman healing spas.

Dr. Allen is currently the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Leader for Memorial. She serves as chair of ACENET, and as a member of numerous boards and executive councils, including C-CORE, the Health Research Ethics Authority and the Bruneau Centre for Excellence in Choral Music.

Dr. Allen served as associate editor and treasurer-secretary for Mouseion and as a council member of the Classical Association of Canada. In her commitment to promote and advance knowledge in the Canadian academic community, Dr. Allen has organized numerous local, national and international events, adjudicated major academic prizes, provided submission reviews for top disciplinary journals and acted as tenure referee for multiple universities.

Providing expertise in emerging areas of classical reception studies and non-traditional disciplinary approaches, she is regularly sought out as a supervisor by Canadian and international students. Her former students and research assistants work all over the world, from Canada to the U.S. to New Zealand, spreading a passion for, and deeper knowledge of, classics.

Dr. Allen holds a bachelor of arts from Amherst College, a master of arts from the University of Texas at Austin and a PhD from the University of Alberta.