Raised in Wisconsin, Avery Springer (nee Gundersen) took her undergraduate degree in Classics at Coly College in Waterville Maine, graduating summa cum laude in 1976. It was as an undergraduate that Avery decided she wanted to teach Latin and Greek. She then returned to the Midwest and completed a MA and PhD at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1984. While working on her PhD she met and married Carl Springer, another classicist. They shared an office while working as TAs in a classical mythology class. When Carl received a position as assistant professor at Illinois State University, Avery was subsequently able to teach both Latin and Greek part-time at the university. Her family, which grew to include 4 children, lived in Normal, Illinois from 1984-1997, with two long sojourns abroad in Belgium (1990) and Germany (1993-4) for Carl's research. Avery came to JBS in the fall of 1997 when she learned of the opening at JBS from James Lowe, whom she had known since graduate school in Madison. In the years since, Avery has taught Latin and Greek at all levels in the program, developed an elective course on the history of Classical and served as chaperone and guide on every departmental trip to Italy offered. Currently Avery serves as departmental chair. She has also seen all four of her children graduate from JBS and truly feels that her position here has been the perfect fit for her professionally and personally. In addition, Avery regularly attends and participates in scholarly conferences in locations as diverse as Iowa City and Budapest, covering topics as varied as the ancient Greek novel and medieval Latin verse. Avery is very grateful and excited to be named the Johnston Professor of Classics and has many plans for further travel (this summer to Germany and Northern Italy, e.g.) and study in the coming years.