Affiliation: Massachusetts College of Art
John Russell was the senior civilian in the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad working with the Iraq Museum and the State Board of Antiquities during 2003-04. He has spoken and published on his experiences, the current situation in Iraq, and the issue of looted antiquities. Professor Russell has excavated at Nippur and Nineveh in Iraq and at Tell Ahmar in Syria, and has published extensively on the archaeology of ancient Mesopotamia. He has received numerous awards, including the Archaeological Institute of America, James R. Wiseman Book Award, 1992; The Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service, 2004; and the Archaeological Institute of America, Outstanding Public Service Award, 2005. He is currently Professor of Art History and Archaeology at Massachusetts College of Art in Boston.
