Mary Knight’s interest in the lives of contemporary Egyptians was sparked during her tenure as a Fulbright scholar in 1994-95, studying the geography of ancient Egypt at ‘Ain Shams University in Cairo. While pursuing that research, she also completed a study of the practice of female genital mutilation in antiquity, a project that led to discussions with modern Egyptians on how the practice is viewed today. Knight is a visiting scholar at New York University, and is co-editing a book on nudity in the ancient Mediterranean World.