Robert Ousterhout (Ph.D. Univ, Illinois, Urbana-Champaign) was Professor of Architectural History at the Univ, of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he taught for more than twenty years before joining the History of Art faculty at Penn in January 2007.  A recognized specialist in Byzantine architecture, his research focuses on the documentation and interpretation of the vanishing architectural heritage of the eastern Mediterranean.  His current fieldwork concentrates on Byzantine architecture, monumental art, and urbanism in Constantinople and Cappadocia. 

Ousterhout is the author of numerous books, including The Architecture of the Kariye Camii in Istanbul, Dumbarton Oaks Studies 25 (1987), Master Builders of Byzantium (1999), The Art of the Kariye Camii (2002), A Byzantine Settlement in Cappadocia, Dumbarton Oaks Studies (2005) and The Byzantine Monuments of the Evros/Meriç River Valley (2007, with Ch. Bakirtzis), He also recently edited Encounters with Islam, a thematic issue of Gesta, 43/2 (2004), with D.F. Ruggles; and the exhibition catalogue Restoring Byzantium: The Kariye Camii in Istanbul and the Byzantine Institute Restoration (2004), with Holger Klein.

At UIUC he was honored as University Scholar (1992-95), Outstanding Faculty in the College of Fine and Applied Arts (1991, 2002), and Associate at the Institute of Advanced Study (1993-4, 2006).  He has also held Fulbright and Dumbarton Oaks fellowships.  He was elected President of U.S. National Committee for Byzantine Studies (2002-07).

In addition to teaching course on Byzantine art and architecture and on the history of architecture, Ousterhout is the Director of the Center for Ancient Studies at Penn.

Membership in other Graduate Groups:

Art and Archaeology of the Mediterranean World AAMW

Other Affiliations:

Medieval Studies @ Penn

Center for Ancient Studies (Chair 2007-2010)