I hold a Ph.D. in Italian Studies, a minor in Gender Studies, and a B.S. in Italian education. I work primarily on Twentieth and Twenty-first century Italian cinema, culture, and literature. I am particularly interested in the topics of migration, aging, global hip-hop, and masculinity. I have presented my research at more than 25 national and international conferences.

​

​

I am an expert educator with more than ten years of experience in curriculum design and development, community outreach, and advising students of diverse backgrounds and interests. I have designed and taught Italian language, literature, culture, and cinema courses at all levels of instruction at the University of Pittsburgh, Youngstown State University, Indiana University,  Dickinson College, Bucknell University, SUNY New Paltz, and the University of Georgia.