Massimo Riva

Massimo Riva is a Professor of Italian Studies and Interim Chair at Brown University, specializing in digital humanities, Italian literature, and media studies. He holds a PhD from Rutgers University and has been recognized with prestigious awards including the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (Ufficiale) and the Royce Family Professorship for Teaching Excellence. His research explores intersections between technology and the humanities, including projects like the Decameron Web and Garibaldi Panorama. Riva is Director of the Virtual Humanities Lab and has published extensively on topics ranging from virtual reality’s historical roots to post-humanism.

Education: Laurea in Filosofia (University of Florence, 1979), PhD in Italian Literature (Rutgers University, 1986).
Awards: Includes ACLS Digital Innovation Fellowship (2011-12), NEH grants, and international visiting positions at institutions like the University of Bologna and University of Sydney.

Research Interests: Focus on digital media’s impact on scholarship, virtual reality’s prehistory, and Italian cultural history. Current projects include studies on artificial intelligence’s prehistory and collaborative digital initiatives like the Garibaldi Panorama installations.

Teaching: Courses span Italian literature, digital humanities, and interdisciplinary topics like 'Simulating Reality.' Notable courses include CLPS 0540/ITAL 0701 on immersive experiences and ITAL 1401 on virtual reality history.

Grants: Over $500k in funding from NEH, ACLS/Mellon, and Brown University for projects like touch-screen interfaces for large artifacts and interactive display walls.

Labs/Teams: Directs the Virtual Humanities Lab and collaborates with computer science, library, and art departments on interdisciplinary digital scholarship.