Dr. Solange Ashby received her Ph.D. in Egyptology with a specialization in ancient Egyptian language and Nubian religion from the University of Chicago. Dr. Ashby’s expertise in sacred ancient languages includes Egyptian hieroglyphs, Demotic, Coptic, Ethiopic, Biblical Greek, and Biblical Hebrew, which underpins her research into the history of religious transformation in Northeast Africa and the Middle East. Her current research describes the roles of women - queens, priestesses, mothers - in traditional Nubian religious practices. She is also a founding member of the William Leo Hansberry Society, which seeks to create pathways for people of African descent - on the continent and in the diaspora - to engage in the study of African antiquity.