A foreign languages and literature professor won one of the American Academy in Rome’s most prestigious prizes.

Peter O’Neill, assistant professor of foreign languages and literatures, will spend a year researching and writing in Rome after receiving the 106th Annual Rome Prize from the American Academy in Rome.

He will leave Iowa State Sept. 16 and return to teach in August 2003.

Julia Lu, director of programming for the academy, said it is one of the leading overseas centers for foreign research in the study of fine arts and humanities.

“The Rome Prize is our most prestigious program,” Lu said.

She said O’Neill was one of 30 recipients of the award, chosen from a pool of 650 applicants.

“It’s highly competitive,” Lu said. “The primary review criteria is excellence. We look for people who are showing real promise in the work they are doing.”

In February, O’Neill received an all-expense paid trip to New York City for an interview with the academy. A few days later, he returned he received a call informing him he had won the prize.

As part of the award, O’Neill was provided a year of free room and board and given a $20,000 living stipend. He will stay in one of 18 buildings owned by the Academy located on top of Janiculum, the highest hill in Rome.

O’Neill, who teaches a general class on Rome at Iowa State, said he will spend his time researching Roman neighborhoods in the period from 133 B.C. to 44 B.C.

“The late period of the Roman Republic was a period with lots of turbulence and lots of rioting,” O’Neill said.

“Most people are interested in the Roman public forum and politics, but I want to concentrate on the neighborhoods.”

He said the academy has one of the best libraries in the world for this kind of research. He will also be able to speak with some of the leading experts on the issue.

“It’s a good chance to learn the archaeology of the city, which is good for my work and what I teach here,” O’Neill said.

By the conclusion of his trip, O’Neill hopes to complete his first book. When he returns to Iowa State, he said he wants to start a new course on the development of Rome.

Jim McGlew, associate professor of foreign languages and literatures, said this is the first time anyone from Iowa State has won the award in the area of humanities.

O’Neill grew up in England and received his undergraduate degree at Oxford University before coming to the United States to get his Ph.D. at the University of Southern California.

He has traveled to Rome many times but hasn’t visited for six or seven years and has never stayed for more than a week or two.

“I’m going to take my time there pretty seriously and do some work this time,” O’Neill said.