The Italy Center staff and faculty look forward to meeting you in Bologna. Courses are taught by adjunct professors who have either taught or completed doctoral research in the United States and are familiar with American forms of pedagogy.
Administrative Staff
Bologna
Simone Bregni (Director)
Dr. Simone Bregni completed his M.A. at the Università Degli Studi di Torino leaving Italy for his Ph.D. and teaching at the Saint Louis University. Dr. Bregni’s areas of expertise span the areas of foreign languages, literatures, and cultural studies. Dr. Bregni’s academic productions include various publications on the benefits of incorporating technology (video games) in language learning and culture acquisition.
Dr. Bregni began partnering with the Italy Center in 2012. He is excited for students to witness Bologna’s long-standing tradition of being at the forefront of citizens’ engagement in social justice, equity, and equality for all. Dr. Bregni is an also one of the Italy Center’s Italian Language Instructors.
Vittorio Buffatti (Vice Director of Budget and Finance)
As the Assistant Director of the Italy Center, Professor Buffatti overseas the administrative operations of the Italy Center. He is a practitioner and researcher having worked for numerous human rights causes across Italy and the Balkans. In 2010 he conducted research for Amici dei Bambini which is the largest non profit organization in Italy addressing the needs of children. He holds two master’s degrees; one in Political Science (interdisciplinary with Law) from the University of Bologna and another in Business and Non Profit Management from the Luigi Bocconi University in Milan. He has overseen the operations of youth and legal projects in the Balkans while working for the Johns Hopkin’s University Center for Constitutional Studies and Democratic Development. He served for six years as a tutor and director of student affairs for the Bologna based Loyola University (California) International Law Program.
Alia Nardini (Associate Director for Academics & Culture and Community Officer)
Dr. Nardini moved to the UK at age 18, where she completed her BA and Masters in Political Philosophy. She moved back to Italy for her PhD and taught at the University of Pisa and the University of Bologna. Dr. Nardini’s academic production includes two books, various publications on international relations and contemporary American political thought, and an extensive collaboration with the Vatican Radio.
Dr. Nardini began teaching at the Italy Center in 2012 and has served as the Associate Director for Academic Affairs since 2017. She has overseen a broad range of academic, social justice and co-curricular programs. Specifically, Dr. Nardini has developed a number of interdisciplinary courses and initiatives that have deepened the Center’s commitment to human rights. She also offers an expertise in leading social justice focused student travel tours to include Southern Italy and Eastern European destinations. Dr. Nardini is an also one of the Italy Center’s Political Science Instructors.
Chiara Deodato (Social Justice Program Manager, Service Learning & Internship Program Coordinator)
Chiara has lived in Bologna since mid 2017, her origins are proudly rooted in the South, while being born in Northern Italy. Passionate advocate for human, civil, political rights and social justice, her most recent professional works have been within organizations dealing with marginalization, people and community empowerment, youth activism, cultural projects and social businesses. Academically, after Political Sciences studies held in Milan, she got a MSc in International Humanitarian Action at the University College Dublin, by undertaking part of her thesis research over community-based, Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change-related topics at the Monash University in Melbourne. Mainly engaged in work and volunteer experiences in not-for-profit organizations and movements, she has been collecting various experiences, from UN fora to field work in remote villages throughout Europe, Africa, South America and South-East Asia. She is constantly balancing between strong values and ideals with real-life experiences and imaginative scenarios. At the Italy Center, Chiara is seeing the possibility to bridge global and systemic perspectives together with the awareness of the power and impact of small, local actions and changes. Chiara is an also the Social Science & Service Learning Instructor.
Julie Champlin-Liguori (Senior Program Manager)
Julie is originally from the US, where she graduated with a BA in German from Hendrix College. Thereafter she completed her MA in Applied Linguistics and English language teaching from the University of Reading, UK. She has lived and worked internationally in Australia, Austria, China, Germany, the UK, and Italy, where she now calls home. Julie has worked in the field of international education for almost a decade developing and managing faculty-led programs.
Carlotta Sestito (Program Coordinator)
Carlotta Sestito was born and raised in Bologna, a city that she loves and knows deeply. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Foreign Languages and Literatures (English and German) from the University of Bologna and studied abroad in Oslo, Norway, where she first discovered her passion for international education. During the 2022/2023 academic year, she worked as an Italian Teaching Assistant at Dickinson College, in Pennsylvania, USA. Since returning to Bologna, she has supported international students through Dickinson College and taught Italian at the University of California Education Abroad Program for one year. Carlotta began working for Spring Hill College Italy Center in May 2025 with Faculty-Led Programs, and she now serves as a Program Coordinator. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Computational Linguistics at the University of Bologna. Committed to supporting international students in their academic and cultural experiences in Italy, Carlotta is enthusiastic about guiding students through their time in Bologna and sharing her knowledge of the city and Italian culture.
Yatziri Michicich-Ochoa (Program Coordinator)
Yatziri Michicich-Ochoa was born in Mexico and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in International Business Management with minors in Italian Studies and Human Resources from the University of Nevada, Reno. During her undergraduate years, she discovered her passion for student support while serving as a Resident Assistant. Since then, she has built a career in international education, working with study abroad students as a Global Student Success Coordinator with Northeastern University in Thessaloniki, Greece (2023) and Belfast, Northern Ireland (2024), and as a Program Coordinator with CIEE’s Taking Climate Action program in Copenhagen, Denmark. With extensive experience in student engagement, leadership, and cross-cultural learning, Yatziri is dedicated to helping students thrive both inside and outside the classroom. Passionate about travel, culture, and building community, she is excited to support students as they immerse themselves in Italian life.
Mobile
Sam Favre (Assistant Director)
Sam grew up in Long Beach, Mississippi. He graduated from Spring Hill College in 2021 with a degree in psychology and a minor in sociology. Sam attended the Italy Center in the Spring of 2019. After his semester abroad, he worked in our Mobile office, helping with recruitment, pre-departure, and other operations. Sam also served as program coordinator on site at the Italy Center in Bologna for three years. He has now moved back to Alabama and is working with students during their predeparture and reentry processes. He is very excited to be back home on “the hill”.
Faculty
Art Sciences
Piergiacomo Petrioli (Art History)
Piergiacomo Petrioli, PhD, is an art historian residing in Bologna. He holds a PhD from the University of Turin and a Specializzazione from the University of Siena. His fields of interest include Renaissance Art, Art criticism and collection of Tuscan Renaissance art in England and America, and 19th-Century art criticism and restoration in Siena. He has published several articles and books, including a textbook about the Renaissance in Central Italy for non-Italian students, “Percorso dell’arte italiana da Firenze a Roma”. Dr. Petrioli has taught Art History at the University of Siena, New York University/Florence, and Dartmouth College/Siena, Boston University in Padua and Venice, and History of Art Criticism at the University of Florence. His awards include two scholarships from the Armstrong Browning Library of Baylor University and a fellowship from the Roberto Longhi Foundation of Art History in Florence.
Nicola Spaccucci (Film Studies)
Nicola Spaccucci is an editor and director of production who has been involved in many projects in the last 15 years, from cinema to TV production, videoclips and advertising. From 2011 he leads production and video editing at Dreamed Srl, Lavino Mezzo, Bologna. From 2008 to 2010, he was the Assistant Director Live as Video Technician at ASA Audiovisivi srl – Castelnuovo di Casalecchio – Bologna and Video Editor for various videoclips and DVD, including live for Vasco Rossi, Stadio, Marco Travaglio,Talks with Ermanno Olmi” by Tatti Sanguineti. Since 2004 editor for Zoomworx soc.coop. for several TV and cinema film productions, including “Tu te souviens d’ Adil?” by Mohammed Zinnedaine, and the TV film “L’ispettore Coliandro 2”, directed by Manetti Bros. Professional training in editing on AVID Xpress at Accademia delle Arti Cinematografiche di Bologna with excellent knowledge of editing software: Adobe Premiere, Adobe Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, Movie Magic, AVID Xpress, Motion in their various versions. Experienced in the field of film production, elaboration and distribution of audiovisual products on digital, analogical and film format. Wide knowledge of cinema and TV culture. Writer of film subjects and scripts.
Business
Alessandro Busca (Business)
Alessandro Busca is a law researcher from the European University Institute in Florence. He holds a law degree from the University of Bologna, where he spent one year as an exchange student at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He also holds a master degree LL.M. from the University of Chicago Law School. He has worked in a number of international institutions, such as the European Court of Human Rights as well as international law firms. He has just completed a Ph.D. at the European University Institute.
Matteo Fusco (Finance & Business Communication)
Born in Torino (Italy), Matteo Fusco studied in Italy, Belgium, the United States and Argentina. Founder of FusConsulting, an independent consulting company specialized in strategic communication, marketing, political campaigns, identity and reputation, climate change management and Green finances, Matteo has over 10 years of international experience in the above mentioned fields working with private companies, public institutions, and NGOs. Matteo is also the Executive Director of the Argentine Institute of Fiscal Sociology and a Consultant in Green Finances and Innovation for the Ministry of Climate Change of the Misiones Province in Argentina.
Languages & Literature
Natascia Cappa (Italian Language)
Natascia Cappa holds a degree in Italianistica, culture letterarie europe, scienze linguistiche and earned a PhD at Rutgers University (New Jersey), with a dissertation titled Fascist Spectralities: Haunted imaginaries in Italian and Latin American Literature, which adopts a comparative approach within a transnational framework. She has extensive experience teaching Italian to American college students, developed through her academic path at Rutgers and her previous work as a grader at Montclair State University. She is also actively involved in inclusive, community centered language education through ongoing collaborations with the CPIA (Provencial Center for Adult Education) in Bologna, where she teaches Italian to migrants. In addition to Italian and English, she also speaks Spanish, which complements her research interests and enriches her teaching in diverse linguistic and cultural settings.
Allison Grimaldi Donahue (Italian Literature)
Grew up in Middletown, Connecticut and has lived in Bologna since 2010. She holds an MA in Italian Studies from Middlebury College, an MFA in Creative Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and a PhD in Philosophy, Art, and Critical Thought from the European Graduate School, Switzerland. Her research interests are in Italian literature, particularly feminist literatures throughout history, experimental and avant-garde traditions, textual presence in contemporary art, deconstruction, and translation studies. Dr. Donahue first came to Italy to explore her own Sicilian heritage and study abroad as an undergraduate. She brings with her years of experience teaching in American liberal arts programs in Rome and Florence. She teaches courses in Italian literature in translation ranging from modern and contemporary texts to Dante. She approaches these texts in unique ways, focusing on discussion and using the city of Bologna as a guide. Dr. Donahue brings her own writing and translating practice to her teaching, as well. She is author of Body to Mineral (Publication Studio Vancouver 2016) and On Endings (Delere Press 2019) and translator from the Italian of Blown Away by vito m. bonito (Fomite 2021) and Self-portrait by Carla Lonzi (Divided 2021). Her writing and translations have appeared in Another Gaze, Prairie Schooner, The Massachusetts Review, Los Angeles Review of Books, Brooklyn Rail, BOMB, FlashArt, Nero and other magazines.
Theology
Irene Valsangiacomo (Guest Theology)
Irene Valsangiacomo, originally from Switzerland, pursued her passion for drama by studying at the Theater School of Bologna A. G. Garrone. Following her graduation, she embarked on a volunteer experience in Sao Paulo, Brazil, contributing to a project focused on evangelization through social media. Irene then delved into theological studies at the Theology Faculty of Bologna, subsequently earning a master’s degree in “Science, Philosophy, and Theology of Religions” at the Theology Faculty of Lugano, Switzerland. Engaging with the “Rete Loyola,” the Jesuits of Bologna’s program for students, from 2008 to 2016, she demonstrated her commitment to educational initiatives. Currently, Irene Valsangiacomo brings her expertise as a religion professor to the public school system.
Science & Mathematics
Marco Giuliani (Biology)
Marco Giuliani, a skilled agronomist, has navigated the realms of agricultural research at UniBo within the faculty of agriculture. His experience includes hands-on work in the largest tomato greenhouse in the province of Ferrara, as well as serving as a freelance consultant for the strategic planning of advanced greenhouses and vertical farming projects across the entire Italian mainland. Born and raised in Bologna, Marco maintains a profound connection with his surroundings. His collaborations extend to working with entrepreneurs and researchers in Emilia-Romagna, focusing on diverse initiatives such as social agriculture, pharmaceutical plant production, reclamation of saline soils, and the design of aquaponic cultures.
Social Sciences
Eleonora Morganti (History)
Dr. Eleonora Morganti holds a doctorate in Policies for Sustainable Development and International Cooperation, as well as a bachelor’s and master’s degree in political science with a specialization in historical studies. She completed her Ph.D. at the Università degli Studi di Bologna and in 2012 went on to a postdoctoral position at IFSTTAR in Paris, France. In 2016 she relocated to the UK, joining the University of Leeds, part of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities, where she became an assistant professor in Urban Sustainability. In 2023, Dr. Morganti returned to her hometown of Bologna and recently began collaborating with the Italy Center. Her areas of expertise include European economic history, urban studies and political science. She has authored numerous scientific publications, including 14 peer-reviewed papers and 5 book chapters, with a focus on sustainable urban policies and modern economic history. Over the years, Dr. Morganti has conducted study visits and collaborated extensively with UCSC in California, INTA in Buenos Aires (Argentina), and Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) in China.
Dr. Lukrecia Štulić (Statistics)
Dr. Lukrecia Štulić is a postdoctoral researcher in climate variability at the Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences at the University of Bologna. She is a physicist with a doctorate in science from the University of Bremen. Her research is focused on the climate of polar regions and its impacts on the global climate. In her current work, she studies how changes in Antarctic sea ice are linked to climate patterns and atmospheric and oceanic conditions, using both climate models and observational data. Lukrecia collaborated with musicians in several science-art projects to communicate climate science and climate change to wider audiences.