Exploring the Assumptions of Cultural History is multi-year project organized by The Future of the Past Lab and the Center for Premodern Studies at UMN Twin Cities that will bring a series of visiting fellows to campus. With these fellowships, FoP and CPS hope to foster discussion about the ways in which the study of ancient and premodern cultural history has adopted (often unconsciously) western categories, premises, and practice and how we can move forward in a way that both approaches the study of ancient cultures more inclusively and better understands the contexts we study. We are very excited to announce our two fellows for Spring 2025: Dr. Rachel P. Kreiter and Maroun El Houkayem!
Rachel P. Kreiter is the curator of the Vanderbilt University Museum of Art. For VUMA, they have curated Gloss: A Measured Response to Recent Video Art (2024) and are co-curating Studentship (2026-7); their research interests concern the art of ancient Egypt and its broader interconnections, especially with (but not limited to) contemporary art and in museums. They hold an MFA in curating from Goldsmiths, University of London, and a doctorate in art history from Emory University.
Maroun El Houkayem is a PhD candidate in the Graduate Program in Religion at Duke University. His work lies at the intersection of history, religious studies, and postcolonial studies. His dissertation focuses on the constitution and development of major Syriac manuscript collections, along with the scholarly practices surrounding them. It analyzes how acts of cataloging, collecting, and studying these manuscripts have shaped the self-representation and identity of their custodians, while influencing broader discourses on colonialism, nationalism, and religion in various global contexts.
The Future of the Past Lab 
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