The American University of Rome welcomed back alumnus Bernát Rácz (AH ’19) as the second speaker in this semester’s Alumni Lecture Series, an evening that showcased the arc of a liberal arts education put into action. Rácz, a magna cum laude graduate in Art History, traced his path from a curious teenager in rural Hungary to a PhD researcher and museum consultant working across Europe.
As Professor Kathleen Fitzsimmons noted, the alumni lecture series invites alumni back to “enrich the student experience and celebrate their stories beyond the classroom,” and Rácz was quick to highlight AUR’s core strengths of close faculty mentorship, interdisciplinary exploration, and a community that keeps opening doors long after graduation. Rácz credited AUR with shaping the way he learns and leads. Courses in stylistic analysis, research methodology, and Roman topography taught him to think critically about context and evidence. Electives such as Italian Opera, Film, Fashion, and Photography broadened his lens on culture and interpretation. “Sometimes you take a class because it sounds fun, and years later, you realize it shaped how you think and see the world,” he said.
After AUR, Rácz earned two master’s degrees - in Art History at John Cabot University and in Late Antique, Medieval, and Early Modern Studies at the Central European University in Vienna. He is now pursuing a PhD in Late Antique, Medieval, and Early Modern Studies, consulting for museums, and contributing to exhibitions in Belgium, France, and Hungary. His current research centers on high medieval metalwork and enamels. A recent project reattributed a group of enamel plaques from a monastic site in Hungary to the Mosan artistic tradition of the Meuse Valley near Liège. Using industrial CT scans and particle-beam analysis, he and his team uncovered hidden inscriptions that may record the names of patrons working more than 800 years ago.
The lecture underscored that scholarship is collaborative. Rácz works with museum directors, archaeologists, conservators, and volunteer metal detectorists, building trust and sharing knowledge across disciplines. “You cannot do this kind of work alone. It is built on community and the idea that knowledge belongs to everyone,” he noted. That ethos mirrors AUR’s model, where students learn through seminars, fieldwork, and faculty-guided research across Rome’s unparalleled cultural landscape.
Rácz also spoke candidly about perseverance. After completing his first master’s thesis on the mosaics of San Marco al Campidoglio, he set it aside for three years. Returning with fresh eyes, he revised and submitted it for publication. The article appeared in a journal he once read as an AUR student. His advice to today’s undergraduates was direct: finish what you start, even if it needs time to mature.
In a lively Q&A, Rácz encouraged students to use Rome as a living classroom, follow genuine interests, and invest in languages that open archives and communities. “Everything I do now, the way I research and the way I think, started here,” he said. “The interdisciplinary spirit of AUR made me who I am.”
The Alumni Lecture Series exists to make these connections tangible. It brings graduates back into conversation with the next generation and demonstrates what an AUR education can catalyze: rigorous inquiry, creative problem-solving, and careers that bridge scholarship and public culture.
You can learn more about AUR's BA in Art History here.
Student Morgan Rademacher (BUS’26) contributed to this article.