Education
Ph.D., Italian Studies, Department of French and Italian, Indiana University, Bloomington IN, 2020
Minor: Art History & Comics Studies
Advisor: Prof. Marco Arnaudo
Dissertation Title: “Auteur comics magazines in Italy: the case of Orient Express (1982–1985)”
M.A., Italian Studies, Department of French and Italian, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 2015
M.A. magna cum laude, Specialized Translation in English and Spanish, IULM, Milan, Italy, 2013
Dissertation Title: “Una filosofa investigatrice. Traduzione e analisi di The charming quirks of the others di A. McCall Smith.”
B.A. magna cum laude, Modern Languages and Cultures, Università di Pavia, Pavia, Italy, 2011
Dissertation Title: “Il Romanzo Giallo e L’Oriente: elementi vittoriani in The Moonstone e The Sign of Four”.
Professional Appointments
2020-current Assistant Instructional Professor, Department of Romance Languages & Literatures, The University of Chicago
2018-2019 Visiting Lecturer in Italian, Department of French and Italian, Indiana University
2016; 2017 Resident Instructor for Florence Summer Program, Department of French and Italian, Indiana University
2013-2018 Associate Instructor of Italian, Department of French and Italian, Indiana University
Research Interest
Italian Comics Studies, Media Industry Studies, Audience Studies, Modern and Contemporary Italian Culture, Popular Culture, Translation and Adaptation Studies, American Comics Studies.
Publications
E-Book
Paese che vai (with S. Dallavalle, L. Gemmani, I. Magni, C. Paltrinieri), ed. K. Serafin
Currently used for fourth-semester Italian language students at Indiana University. Chapter on “congiuntivo imperfetto & trapassato” in the context of Italian comics.
Journal Articles
2019 . “Popular format and auteur format in Italian comics. The case of Magnus.” International Journal of Comic Art, vol. 21, no. 1, Spring/Summer 2019, pp. 300-328.
In progress “Pratiche dell’industria fumettistica in Italia: appunti sulla produzione e il mercato del graphic novel e del fumetto seriale italiano”.
In progress “Orlando Furioso as a comic book: a post-modern adaptation by Pino Zac”.
In progress “Comics at the crossroad of neo-baroque and fine art: Art Spiegelman’s ‘The Malpractice Suite’ and Stefano Tamburini’s Snake Agent”.
Article and Book Reviews
2017 Divenuto, Francesco. “Baldassarre Castiglione tra Milano, Mantova, Urbino e Roma.” Studi rinascimentali, vol. 12, 2014, pp. 91-98. La Rassegna della letteratura italiana, vol. 121, no. 1, 2017, pp. 173-174.
2015 Macinante, Alessandra Paola. “Per un episodio folenghiano: la divisione del ‘varolo’ («Baldus», XV) e il ‘concilium principis’ di Giovenale.” Rinascimento, no.52, 2012, pp. 201-210. La Rassegna della letteratura italiana, vol. 119, no. 1, 2015, pp. 160-161.
2014 Tzioumakis, Yannis and Lincoln Siân. The Time of our Lives: Dirty Dancing and Popular Culture. Wayne State University Press, 2013. Luci e Ombre, no.4, 2014.
Other Publications
2017 “Marcel Labrume: Micheluzzi tra letterarietà e arte grafica.” Lo SpazioBianco.it.. https://www.lospaziobianco.it/marcel-labrume-micheluzzi-letterarieta-arte-grafica/
2015 “‘Linus’, il primo anno di un pezzo di storia del fumetto.” Lo SpazioBianco.it. https://www.lospaziobianco.it/linus-primo-pezzo-storia-fumetto/
2015 “Sclavi prima di Sclavi: la carriera Bonelli prima di Dylan Dog.” Lo SpazioBianco.it. https://www.lospaziobianco.it/sclavi-sclavi-carriera-bonelli-dylan-dog-parte-2/
Awards, Honors and Fellowship
2019 French and Italian Department Research Grant – Facilitating the French and Italian dissertation writing group
2019 College of Arts and Science Dissertation Completion Fellowship
2019 Olga Ragusa Fund – “Mediating Italy in Global Culture” Summer School in Bologna (Italy)
2019 French and Italian Department Travel Fund – NeMLA 2019
2019 French and Italian Department Travel Fund – ICAF 2019
2018 French and Italian Department Travel Fund – ACTFL 2018
2018 French and Italian Department Travel Fund – AAIS 2018
2018 Grant-in-Aid of Doctoral Research Award
2017 French and Italian Department Research Fund – Contributions toward developing online courses in the Italian language program
2017 French and Italian Department Travel Fund – SaMLA 2017
2017 French and Italian Department Research Grant – Facilitating the French and Italian dissertation writing group
2017 Research Assistantship – Assisting a professor with research and teaching as part of the professor’s hiring agreement
2017 French and Italian Department Travel Fund – AAIS 2017
2017 College of Arts and Sciences Travel Award – AAIS 2017
2017 French and Italian Department Travel Fund – NeMLA 2017
2016 Lander MacClintock Research Award for Excellent Achievement in Graduate Studies
2016 Associate Instructor Award for Excellence in teaching
2013-2017 Associate Instructorship – Full tuition remission and paid instructorship during M.A. and Ph.D. program in Italian. Teacher of record for 3 university courses per year.
2013 French and Italian Department Travel Incentive
Invited Talks
2020 “Luigi Bernardi: L’Isola Trovata e Orient Express.” Luigi Bernardi e l’immaginario pop roundtable – University of Bologna (17 January).
Conference Activity
Panels organized and chaired:
2019 “Authors, readers and genres: production dynamics in Italian comics.” Northeast Modern Language Association Annual Conference–Washington, DC (21-24 March).
2018 “Il fumetto italiano e la modernità: modalità narrative, sperimentazioni stilistiche e standardizzazioni culturali.” American Association for Italian Studies Conference– Sorrento, Italy (14-17 June).
Papers presented:
2020 “The Italian comics industry: notes on the production of graphic novels and serial comic books.” Northeast Modern Language Association Annual Conference– Boston, MA (5-8 March).
2020 “Leafing through the pages: the materiality of comic strips, comic books and comics magazines” Northeast Modern Language Association Annual Conference– Boston, MA (5-8 March).
2020 “Italian comics readers and letter writers: a case study”. Panels on Panels Conference – Bloomington, IN (14 February).
2019 “Question of Formats in Italian comics: The Case of Magnus.” The International Comic Arts Forum – Davenport, IA (4-6 April).
2019 “Letters to the Editor: Epistolary and Participatory Culture in Italian Auteur Comics Magazines.” Northeast Modern Language Association Annual Conference – Washington, DC (21-24 March).
2019 “‘Gino e l’Alfetta:’ discussing homosexuality through Daniele Silvestri’s music video.” Northeast Modern Language Association Annual Conference– Washington, DC (21-24 March).
2018 “How to Create an Original E-book to Foster Intercultural Competencies.” (co-presentation) American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Convention – New Orleans, LA (16-18 November).
2018 “Engaging students into active learning in hybrid and online environment.” (co-presentation) American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Convention – New Orleans, LA (16-18 November).
2018 “L’era delle riviste: la maturità del fumetto tra innovazione e ripetizione.” American Association for Italian Studies Conference– Sorrento, Italy (14-17 June).
2018 “Simultaneity and visual freedom in Sergio Toppi’s adaptation of the Arabian Nights.” Northeast Modern Language Association Annual Conference– Pittsburgh, PA (12-15 April).
2018 “Comics at the crossroad of neo-baroque and artistic experimentation: Art Spiegelman’s ‘The Malpractice Suite’ and Stefano Tamburini’s ‘Snake Agent’.” Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association National Convention – Indianapolis, IN (28-31 March).
2017 “‘High’ and ‘Low’ Dynamics in Italian Comic Magazines: The Case of Orient Express.” South Atlantic Modern Language Association Annual Convention – Atlanta, GA (3-5 November).
2017 “Italian comics magazines of the Eighties: Orient Express and its elements of novelty.” Canadian Society of Italian Studies / American Association of Italian Studies Joint Conference – Columbus, OH (20-22 April).
2017 “A Non-desecrating Parody: The Comics Adaptation of the Orlando Furioso by Pino Zac.” Northeast Modern Language Association Annual Conference– Baltimore, MD (23-26 March).
Conferences and workshops co-organized:
2020 “Panels on Panels.” Inter-departmental conference on comics – Bloomington, IN (14 February)
2018 Department of French and Italian Professionalization Workshop – Bloomington, IN (23 February)
2018 “Facing Forward: Fostering Successful Scholarship in the 21st Century Academy.” IU Preparing Future Faculty – Bloomington, IN (9 February).
2017 “Crossing Borders, Breaking Walls.” Department of French and Italian Graduate Student Colloquium – Bloomington, IN (10-11 March).
Campus or Departmental Talks
2018 “Student-to-Student Interaction in Different course modalities: Canvas discussion boards and Twitter.” Center For Language Excellence Workshop – Bloomington, IN (18 October).
2018 “Social networks in class. How to foster cultural awareness and active participation through Twitter” (Roundtable). Lightning Talks, Student Faculty Forum– Bloomington, IN (7 September).
Teaching Experience
Indiana University, Visiting Lecturer, 2018-2019
Italian Reading & Expression: “Comics and 20th century Italy: a Parallel History” (spring 2019)
Italian Conversation & Diction: “Italian culture through contemporary films” (fall 2018)
Intermediate Italian II – web-enhanced (spring 2019; fall 2018)
Elementary Italian I – web-enhanced (fall 2018)
Indiana University, Graduate Assistant, 2018
Topics in Italian Culture: “Cultures of the Renaissance” (spring 2018)
Indiana University, Associate Instructor, 2013-2017
Italian Conversation & Diction in Florence (summer 2016; summer 2017)
Elementary Italian I in Florence – web-enhanced (summer 2017)
Elementary Italian I – web-enhanced (fall 2016)
Italian Conversation & Diction: “Italian culture through contemporary films” (fall 2016)
Intermediate Italian II in Florence (summer 2016)
Intermediate Italian I in Florence (summer 2016)
College of Arts and Science Critical Approaches: “Cloak and Dagger: Literary Criticism of Detective Novels” – discussion sections (spring 2016)
Accelerated Elementary Italian – web-enhanced (fall 2015)
Elementary Italian II – online (fall 2015)
Elementary Italian I (fall 2013; spring 2014)
Service to Profession
Member of IU Comics Studies Group (2019-2020)
lead organizer of “Panels on Panels,” inter-departmental conference on comics, February 14, 2020.
Facilitator of the French and Italian Dissertation Writing Group (Fall 2019 & Fall 2017).
Committee member for IU Preparing Future Faculty (2017-2018)
co-organizer of Preparing Future Faculty conference, February 9, 2018.
Graduate Student Organization Representative for the Italian Program (2016-2018)
co-organizer of Department of French and Italian Professionalization Workshop, February 23, 2018
co-organizer of Department of French and Italian Bi-annual colloquium “Crossing Borders, Breaking Walls,” March 10-11, 2017.
University and Departmental Service
Social Media Manager (Instagram and Twitter) for Department of French and Italian, Italian Language program (2018-present).
Designer of syllabus Italian Reading & Expression: “Comics and 20th century Italy: a Parallel History” (spring 2019).
Presenter at Associate Instructor Orientation for Center for Language Excellence (CLE) and French and Italian Department (fall 2018).
Instructor for “Italian for Travelers” at IU Lifelong Learning (spring 2018).
Contributor to Intermediate Italian II course on Canvas based on Paese che vai (fall 2017).
Research Assistant to Prof. Massimo Scalabrini, Chair of the Department of French and Italian (2017-2018).
Designer of syllabus for Italian Conversation & Diction in Florence 2017 (summer 2017).
Contributor to the creation of cultural material for the E-book Paese che vai – chapter on “congiuntivo imperfetto & trapassato” in the context of Italian comics (spring 2017).
Research assistant to the Director of Language Instruction in Italian – reviewing syllabi, creating Canvas pages for basic language courses, creating Canvas quizzes; “Circolo Italiano” coordinator: co-curricular activities in Italian; helping promote the program through social networks and advertising (2014 – 2015 & spring 2017).
Co-designer of syllabus for Italian Reading & Expression (fall 2016).
Counselor for abroad studies program at the IU School of Education (spring 2015 & 2016).
Co-designer of Power Point lectures for Intermediate Italian I and II Online(2014 – 2015).
Additional Training
2020 “Inclusive Curriculum and Instructional Design: Building Marketable Skills” Workshop with Ann Gagné – Northeast Modern Language Association Annual Conference – Boston, MA (8 March).
2019 “Grant Strategy” Workshops with Bill Hart-Davidson – Indiana University (15 November).
2019 “Mediating Italy in Global Culture” Summer School – Bologna, Italy (17-22 June).
2018 “How to Adapt the Language Classroom to Hybrid and Online Course Modalities.” Professional Development Workshop for Instructors of World Languages – Bloomington, IN (7-11 May).
2018 “Reacting To The Past” workshop – Bloomington, IN (27 April).
2017 Foreign Languages and Cultures Professional Development – Indiana University (29 November).
2017 Center for Language Excellence (CLE) “ePortfolio for Language Teaching.” – Indiana University (23 October).
2014 Methods of Language and Teaching course – Indiana University
2013 Teaching Practicum – Indiana University.
2012 Professional Internship with Massimo Bocchiola, translation of 15 chapters of “White Rose Rebel” by Janet Paisley – IULM, Italy.
Other activities
Author, proofreader, and translator for the online Italian Comics Magazine lospaziobianco.it (2015-2018).
Languages
Italian – native speaker
English – near native proficiency
Spanish – advanced proficiency
French – reading and listening proficiency
German – beginner reading knowledge
Professional Affiliations
American Association for Italian Studies (AAIS)
Modern Language Association (MLA)
Northeast Modern Language Association (NeMLA)
American Association of Teachers of Italian (AATI)
American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)
References
Marco Arnaudo: marnaudo@indiana.edu
Andrea Ciccarelli: aciccare@indiana.edu
Massimo Scalabrini: mscalabr@indiana.edu
Karolina Serafin: kserafin@indiana.edu
Sara Dallavalle, PhD 