Egyptology Ph.D. student wins first place at British Federation of Women Graduates (BFWG) Presentation Day and an Egypt Exploration Society (EES) scholarship to Egypt

Brandi Denise Hill of Swansea University has been awarded first place at the BFWG Presentation Day along with an EES scholarship to travel and research in Egypt.

Brandi Hill is a second year Ph.D. candidate in Egyptology at Swansea University working under the supervision of Professor Dr. Martina Minas-Nerpel and Dr. Kasia Szpakowska. She is currently researching the political presence of Twelfth Dynasty (1994–1781 BC) royal women through iconographic and archaeological analyses. Her research also explores Egypt’s first well-documented female pharaoh, Sobekneferu, as well as the administratively powerful princess Neferuptah. Brandi’s thesis is titled A Study of Royal Female Power and Political Influence in Ancient Egypt: Contextualising Queenship in the Twelfth Dynasty. Originally from South Carolina, USA, she earned her M.A. degree in Art History from the Institute of Egyptian Art and Archaeology located at the University of Memphis, Tennessee.

The British Federation of Women Graduates (BFWG) holds a Research Presentations Day each year at which women postgraduate students from around the UK are invited to give short presentations of their research work. A prize of £120 is offered for the presentation judged best in terms of quality of presentation and ability to communicate the subject to an educated but general audience. For more information about the British Federation of Women Graduates, please visit their website: http://bfwg.org.uk/bfwg/.

For Spring 2016 the Egypt Exploration Society (EES) introduced a fully funded award to three UK based postgraduate Egyptology students. The ‘familiarisation’ tour included the opportunity to pursue a programme of visits to a variety of archaeological sites, museums, and other institutions as an introduction to professional Egyptology. The award covered the costs of travel to and within Egypt, entry visas, accommodation, and subsistence during a stay of two weeks.  The travel to Egypt took place during the dates of 22 March through 06 April 2016. Brandi was able to conduct on-site research at locations such as Medinet Madi and Hawara while also collecting photographs of significant statues from the Egyptian Museum. This opportunity has greatly enhanced her knowledge of Egyptology and she is grateful to the Egypt Exploration Society for the opportunity. Reports of the trip will be made available by the EES. For more information about the EES please visit their website: http://www.ees.ac.uk.