05/15/2026
Sinclair Bell, professor of art history in the NIU School of Art and Design has been named a 2026 Presidential Research, Scholarship and Artistry Professor, NIU’s highest recognition for outstanding research or artistry. The honor includes special financial support of the recipient’s research for four years, after which they earn the title of Distinguished Research Professor.
Bell was named an NIU Presidential Teaching Professor in 2021. He is an archaeologist and art historian who specializes in the study of ancient Italy, especially the Roman world. His field requires proficiency in classical philology, ancient history, ancient art history and fieldwork in classical archaeology. He jokes that his interdisciplinary training began when his mother “unofficially” enrolled him in an undergraduate classical mythology course at a local university when he was 11 years old.
