Dr. Maggie Popkin’s research and teaching focus is on ancient Greek and Roman art and architecture. She brings her students to the Cleveland Museum of Art regularly and relies heavily on 2D images and readings in her courses, however, she wanted to offer some type of an immersive experience like what she enjoys during her fieldwork at the archeological site of the Sanctuary of the Great Gods on the island of Samothrace in Greece. Even that, however, requires an expert's understanding in order to postulate what once stood there. 

During her Fellowship year, Dr. Popkin built upon the virtual reconstructed model of the sanctuary made by her colleagues at the Art History Department at Emory University and brought it to life. Her app, The Sanctuary of the Great Gods at Samothrace, is a fully immersive, walkable holographic experience where students can explore on foot, even climb stairs and “teleport” to different vistas with the click of a button.