URI_Research_Magazine_Momentum_Fall_2015_Melissa-McCarthy

Academic Head in the Past

written by Paul Kandarian & Chris Barrett ‘08

and authentic 15th-century helmet she received as a gift when she was hired by URI in 1996. But her movie-loving side is here as well. On her door is a “Star Wars” poster, and on shelves sharing space with her professional world are figurines from the popular film series, including a Darth Vader clock.

Medieval historian and University of Rhode Island (URI) Professor Joëlle Rollo Koster has her academic head in the past. The shelves in her narrow office reflect her expertise, with titles such as “Women in the Medieval English Countryside,” “Sex, Dissidence and Damnation,” and “Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings.” Nearby is a heavy

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