Regina Gee

Regina Gee is an exceptional scholar who came to Montana State University in 2005 and has made significant contributions in the area of art history, with a specialization in Roman frescoes. She received a M.A. from Vanderbilt University and a Ph.D. at the University of Texas – Austin, where she began her work on the Oplontis Project in the Bay of Naples, Italy. Her research resulted in an incredible collaboration with MSU and the Museum of the Rockies, connecting the greater Yellowstone area to the Bay of Naples and the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D. The exhibition, "Leisure and Luxury in the Age of Nero: The Villas of Oplontis," brought more than 130 significant objects to Bozeman that had never been viewed publicly before. There were only three venues in the U.S., and the Museum of the Rockies hosted the largest exhibition, providing a unique experience for MSU and the entire region. In addition to the artifacts on display, 13 MSU faculty worked with Gee to create curricula around the exhibit, setting up a new model intergrating teaching and research for MSU faculty, students and the museum.

Regina Gee’s exhibition, 'Leisure and Luxury in the Age of Nero: The Villas of Oplontis,' brought more than 130 significant objects to Bozeman that had never been viewed publicly before and, under Italian law, can never leave Italy again.

Photo: MSU Communications