CJ Miller received a B.A. in Classical and Medieval Studies from Bates College in 2010 and entered the Post-Baccalaureate program in the same year. In the Fall of 2008 CJ studied at the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome. Heavily based on his experiences in Italy, CJ's senior thesis, entitled "Accidental Allies: Septimius Severus and the Cult of Mithras in the Third Century" focused on the expansion and success of the cult of Mithras in the Roman Empire and what social and political factors contributed to the cult's success. While mystery cults are interesting to him, CJ's primary interests lie in the Empire, specifically the Antonine and Severan dynasties and how Roman culture and society changed in the second and third centuries CE.