Find Academic Supervisors

Ramsey McGlazer is an Associate Professor specializing in twentieth-century European and Latin American literature, film, and critical theory. His research engages with poetry, politics-aesthetics intersections, critical carceral studies, and feminist/queer/psychoanalytic frameworks. He holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature and Critical Theory from UC Berkeley (2015) and previously taught at the University of St Andrews and Brown University’s Pembroke Center. McGlazer’s work interrogates modernist critiques of progress, radical psychiatry movements, and the interplay between aesthetic practices and institutional critique. His acclaimed monograph Old Schools: Modernism, Education, and the Critique of Progress (2020) won the American Association for Italian Studies First Book Prize. Current projects include The Clinic and its Double , exploring mid-century radical psychiatry and avant-garde art. He serves as Senior Editor of Critical Times and Coeditor of Italian Culture , and has translated key works like Rita Segato’s The War Against Women . McGlazer’s writing appears in venues such as Los Angeles Review of Books and n+1 . Research interests span Surrealist provocations, Brazilian artist Lygia Clark’s propositions, and transnational feminist solidarities. His scholarship bridges literary analysis with critical engagements in carceral studies, postcolonial theory, and decolonial thought.

• Twentieth-century literature
• Film studies
• Critical theory
• +9 more

Dr. Reba Wissner is an Associate Professor of Musicology at the Schwob School of Music, Columbus State University, where she also serves as Interim Associate Dean in the Honors College. She specializes in film, television, and video game music, with a strong commitment to pedagogy and accessibility in higher education. Education: PhD, Musicology, Brandeis University, 2012 MFA, Musicology, Brandeis University, 2008 BA, Music and Italian, Hunter College, CUNY, 2005 Graduate Certificate, Higher Education Administration, Northeastern University, 2019 Graduate Certificate, Instructional Design, University of Wisconsin - Stout, 2020 Levels 1, 2, and 3 UDL Credentials, UDL-IRN Quality Matters Certified Peer Reviewer and Master Reviewer Dr. Wissner’s research centers on music in screen media, particularly Cold War-era television, and the intersection of music with cultural narratives. She is a leading voice in public musicology and Universal Design for Learning (UDL), advocating for inclusive and accessible music education. Her work spans historical analysis, pedagogical innovation, and interdisciplinary media studies. Her recent publications reflect a consistent focus on sonic storytelling, with books on The Twilight Zone , The Outer Limits , David Lynch, and Twin Peaks . She explores themes of nuclear anxiety, identity, and adaptation across media. Her editorial projects include the Oxford Handbook of Public Musicology and a guide on UDL in music history classrooms. Scientific Awards and Recognitions: Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award, Columbus State University, 2022 Governor’s Teaching Fellow, Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education, 2022 Quality Matters Certified Peer Reviewer and Master Reviewer UDL Levels 1–3 Credentials Dr. Wissner has secured editorial contracts with Routledge and Oxford University Press, reflecting her leadership in the field. She mentors emerging scholars through collaborative editing and public scholarship initiatives. Her work in online learning and accessibility has shaped curriculum development and peer review standards. She leads the Public Musicology Certificate program and contributes to interdisciplinary studies and honors education. She is actively involved in research teams focused on media music and pedagogical innovation, integrating digital tools and inclusive design into music history education.

• Musicology
• Film Music
• Television Music
• +14 more

Erika Conti is a Senior Lecturer in Italian and Coordinator for Romance Languages in the School of Continuing and Professional Studies at Washington University in St. Louis. She holds a PhD in Comparative Literature from Washington University and a laurea in English, Spanish, and German languages/literatures from the University of Milan. Her research focuses on 20th-century Italian literature, particularly personal narratives and collective memories of Fascism and World War II. Teaching responsibilities include Italian language courses, surveys of Italian literature, and specialized courses on Italian cinema and Fascism. She developed online Italian culture courses for continuing education programs. Administrative roles include Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies in Italian, coordinator for beginning language sequences (101/102/201), and Four-Year Advisor for Arts & Sciences since 2019. She also serves as a Progress Counselor since 2023. Professional contributions include translation support (Italian-English/English-Italian) for university communities. Office hours are Wednesday/Friday 11 AM–12 PM or by appointment at Ridgley 417A.

• Italian Literature
• 20th Century Literature
• Fascism Studies
• +4 more

Steven G. Kellman is a Professor of English at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), where he has taught since 1976. A leading scholar in comparative literature and literary translingualism, he was UTSA's first Ashbel Smith Professor (1995-2000) and has received numerous accolades including the National Book Critics Circle Balakian Citation and the New York Society Library Award for Biography. His academic foundation includes: Ph.D. in Comparative Literature, University of California at Berkeley (1972) M.A. in Comparative Literature, University of California at Berkeley (1969) B.A. in English & General Literature, State University of New York at Binghamton (1967) Kellman's research focuses on comparative literature, modern and contemporary literature, prose fiction, literary translingualism, film, and biography. He pioneered the study of writers who create in non-native languages, examining how linguistic displacement fuels creativity and shapes identity across cultural boundaries. His work bridges literary analysis with cultural history, particularly in American literature and biography. His recent publications demonstrate sustained engagement with translingualism, pandemic-era literary interpretation, and biographical recovery of marginalized voices. Articles from 2022-2025 reveal consistent thematic threads: re-examining classic texts like Camus' The Plague through contemporary crises, analyzing translingual writing as spiritual practice, and recovering erased narratives in literary partnerships. Honors include the National Book Critics Circle Nona Balakian Citation (2006), New York Society Library Award for Biography (2006), and Gemini Ink Literary Excellence Award (2008). Additional distinctions: UTSA COLFA Researcher of the Year Award (2019-2020) McGinnis-Ritchie Award for Nonfiction (2008) San Antonio Public Library Foundation Arts and Letters Award (2005) Two UTSA President's Distinguished Achievement Awards in Research Excellence (1990-91, 2005-2006) Kellman has secured prestigious fellowships including the Fulbright Distinguished Chair at Sofia University and Harvard's John E. Sawyer Fellowship. He served four terms on the National Book Critics Circle board and edits Brill's Literary Multilingualism series, demonstrating sustained commitment to advancing literary scholarship through editorial leadership and institutional service.

• Comparative literature
• Modern and contemporary literature
• Prose fiction
• +3 more

Claire Mouflard is an Associate Professor of French at Hamilton College , specializing in contemporary French and francophone literature, culture, and film. Her teaching and research focus on immigrant identities, postcolonial theory, digital humanities, and intersectional feminism. Department: German, Russian, Italian, and Arabic Areas of Study Academic Rank: Associate Professor Email: cmouflar@hamilton.edu Research Interests include: Immigrant representation in French cinema and literature Digital humanities and new media Postcolonial feminisms Twentieth and twenty-first-century Francophone narratives Scientific Awards include the Dean’s Scholarly Achievement Award (Hamilton College, 2021) and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Grant (Union College, 2016). Selected Publications analyze intersectionality in French cinema, digital authority in Francophone texts, and postcolonial diasporic literature.

• French and Francophone Studies
• Postcolonial Theory
• Immigrant Identity Construction
• +3 more

Joel Westerdale is an Associate Professor of German Studies at Smith College, where he also serves as Chair of German and Italian. He is affiliated with the Film and Media Studies and Comparative Literature programs, with courses cross-listed in Jewish Studies and the History of Science. Ph.D. and A.M. from Harvard University B.A. from University of Michigan His research focuses on 19th-21st century German literature, intellectual history, and early cinema. He examines intersections between language, technology, and cultural expression, particularly in works like Nietzsche’s Human, All Too Human and early German films such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari . Recent scholarly contributions include analyses of Nazi-era film historiography and Nietzschean philosophical themes in literature. He has conducted extensive research at institutions in Germany, including University of Freiburg and Center for Literary and Cultural Research (ZfL) in Berlin. Grants from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, U.S. Fulbright Commission, and Whiting Foundation have supported his work. He co-directed Smith’s Kahn Liberal Arts Institute Evil project (2011–12) and led the study abroad program at University of Hamburg (2015–16).

• Modern German literature
• Intellectual history
• Early German film
• +7 more

Sarah Annunziato is an Associate Professor of Italian and Director of both the Undergraduate Program in Italian and the Italian Language Program (1000-2000 level courses) at the University of Virginia. She holds a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University and a B.A. from Smith College. Her research focuses on children’s literature, media, and trauma representation, with a particular emphasis on Italian and U.S. texts. She also investigates language pedagogy, including game-based learning and the role of streaming media in language acquisition. Her teaching spans graduate courses like Dante’s Inferno on Film and undergraduate courses such as Elementary Italian and Small Screen Italy . She has advised MA theses on topics ranging from Italian literature to comparative cinema. Annunziato has received multiple grants, including funding for a tutoring clinic and curriculum development for healthcare-focused Italian courses. Her publications include Clic! L’italiano col telecomando (2024) and articles on topics like colonialism in Emilio Salgari’s works and Dante’s influence on American TV. She actively serves as an editor for La Vendemmia and contributes to initiatives like the Moons and Bonfires archive of Italian-American history.

• Italian Children’s Literature
• Media Studies
• History of Childhood in Italy
• +4 more

Claudia Romanelli serves as Associate Professor of Italian and Italian Program Director within the Department of Modern Languages & Classics at the University of Alabama, where she also functions as Italian Undergraduate Advisor. Her office resides in BB Comer Hall 217 with contact details cromanelli@ua.edu and (205) 348-5059. Dr. Romanelli holds a PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research centers on Italian cinema within global contexts , screenplay authorship , collaborative creative processes , postcolonial narratives , and intermedia experimentation . As a generalist in Italian literature specializing in modern and contemporary periods, she currently develops a book manuscript analyzing Pier Paolo Pasolini and Federico Fellini's cinematic relationship. Her work bridges film studies, literary criticism, and cultural theory with particular attention to marginalized perspectives. Analysis of her 2009-2024 publications reveals sustained engagement with Pasolini's screenwriting contributions to Fellini's films, adaptations of literary works to cinema, and examinations of otherness in Italian cultural production. Key thematic threads include authorship models in collaborative filmmaking, postcolonial representations, and transnational co-production dynamics within European cinema. No scientific awards were documented in the source material. As Italian Undergraduate Advisor, Dr. Romanelli guides student academic trajectories. While departmental highlights mention French PhD students Olabayo Awodirepo, Mablka Lambon, and Diweng Mercy Dafong, her specific graduate advisees remain unspecified. No research grants or funded projects were referenced. No dedicated research laboratories or collaborative teams were identified in the provided information.

• Italian Cinema
• World Cinema
• Screenplay Studies
• +5 more

Francesco Casetti is the Sterling Professor of Humanities and Film and Media Studies at Yale University, affiliated with the Yale School of Architecture. His academic journey spans teaching at institutions like the University of Genova, Harvard, and the University of Iowa. Casetti specializes in semiotics, film and media theories, post-cinema, and the interplay between media and spatial environments. His research explores the evolution of cinematic experience in modernity, audience negotiations, and the relocation of media in technological spaces. Notable works include Eye of the Century (2008) and The Lumière Galaxy (2015), which analyze cinema’s role in cultural and technological shifts. He co-founded the Permanent Seminar on Histories of Film Theories, fostering international scholarship in media studies. Casetti’s contributions extend to editorial roles in academic journals and prestigious fellowships at institutions like Bauhaus University Weimar. His current research investigates historical media anxieties and optical-spatial arrangements. Education: Taught at multiple Italian and international universities without explicit degree details provided. Research focuses on semiotic analysis, ethnographic audience studies, and media ecology. Awards include accolades for his books but specific prizes are not named. Grants and advisory roles are tied to his academic leadership and editorial activities. Labs/teams affiliation includes the Permanent Seminar and collaborations with global media scholars.

• Film and Media Studies
• Semiotics
• Cinema Theory
• +5 more

Ombretta Frau is the Dorothy Rooke McCulloch Professor of Italian at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, where she also serves as Chair of Romance Languages and Cultures and Chair of Classics and Italian. She is affiliated with the Department of Classics and Italian, Department of Romance Languages and Cultures, and the McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives Faculty Advisory Board. Dr. Frau received her Laurea from the University of Cagliari, Italy, followed by an M.A. from Boston College, and her A.M. and Ph.D. from Harvard University. She has previously taught at Boston College, Rice University, and Harvard University, where she received excellence in teaching awards. Her scholarly interests focus on nineteenth and early twentieth-century Italian authors and public intellectuals, with particular expertise in women's literature, the material culture of literature, and Luigi Pirandello. She has published extensively on Italian women writers including Pirandello, Jolanda, Mantea, Sfinge, Mara Antelling, Annie Vivanti, Flavia Steno, Matilde Serao, and Dacia Maraini. Her research also examines motherhood, the connection between language, gender and violence online, and the relationship between fascism and culture. Her recent publications span topics from Grazia Deledda's landscape writings to analyses of Giorgia Meloni's conservative feminism, demonstrating her ongoing engagement with both historical and contemporary Italian cultural phenomena. Her work shows a consistent focus on women writers, gender studies, and Italian cultural history across multiple centuries. 2022 Meribeth E. Cameron Faculty Award for Scholarship at Mount Holyoke President of the American Association for Italian Studies' Women Studies Caucus Contributor to Enciclopedia delle Donne and Dizionario Treccani Professor Frau teaches a diverse range of courses at Mount Holyoke including Italian language, literature, and culture, with specialized courses on Children's Literature, Travel Literature, Theatre, Food culture, Fascism, and the Mediterranean. She is known for creating a friendly classroom atmosphere that encourages discussion and incorporates many pedagogical tools. Her recent talks in 2025 cover topics from Venice's San Michele to Giorgia Meloni and the rebranding of Italian fascism, demonstrating her active scholarly engagement.

• Italian literature
• Women's literature
• 19th century Italian culture
• +7 more

Joan Ramon Resina is a Professor at Stanford University in both the Department of Iberian and Latin American Cultures and the Department of Comparative Literature. He serves as Director of the Iberian Studies Program under the Freeman Spogli Institute. Ph.D., University of Barcelona (1988) Ph.D., UC Berkeley (1986) Research interests include Catalan cultural studies, modernism, historical memory, philosophy of language, and urban modernity. His work interrogates the intersections of literature with political and cultural transformation. Recent publications focus on Iberian transnationalism, the Catalan independence movement, and Visconti’s cinematic philosophy. These works span interdisciplinary methodologies in cultural critique and historical analysis. Scientific awards include prestigious Alexander von Humboldt and Fulbright fellowships, reflecting his international scholarly recognition. Contact : jrresina@stanford.edu | Office: Pigott Hall, Bldg 260, Rm 224 | Office Hours: Tu/Th 12-1PM

• Catalan Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
• Modernism
• New Ruralism
• +9 more

Patrick Barron is a Professor in the Department of English at the University of Massachusetts Boston, based in Wheatley Hall, Floor 06. His academic expertise spans twentieth-century American and Italian poetry, environmental literature, Native American literature, professional writing, and literary translation. Education: PhD, University of Nevada, Reno MS in Geography, University of Nevada, Reno MA, Queen's University of Belfast BA, University of Oregon Barron's research integrates literary studies with geography and environmental humanities, focusing on spatial representations in poetry and prose. His work examines agropastoral landscapes, urban wastelands ("terrain vague"), and cross-cultural literary exchanges between American and Italian traditions. He specializes in ecocritical approaches to Native American literature and environmental writing. His publication trajectory reveals consistent engagement with spatial theory across American and Italian contexts, from Edward Dorn's Western poetry to Fellini's cinematic Rome. Barron's translations of Andrea Zanzotto and Gianni Celati highlight his bridging of literary traditions through environmental and spatial lenses.

• Twentieth-century American and Italian Poetry
• Environmental Literature and Ecocriticism
• Native American Literature
• +2 more

Giancarlo Lombardi is a Professor in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at the College of Staten Island (CSI), part of the City University of New York (CUNY) system. Since 2002, he has also been a faculty member in the PhD/MA Program in Comparative Literature at the CUNY Graduate Center, where he has served as Executive Officer (Chair) since 2014. His academic career spans teaching and research in Italian, French, English, and American literature, film studies, cultural studies, and television drama. Education: Laurea, Università di Roma "La Sapienza" MA, Cornell University PhD, Cornell University (Romance Studies) His research interests include Comparative Literature, Italian and American Television Seriality, Film Studies, Gender Studies, and Feminist Fiction . He has published extensively on contemporary European women writers, Italian cinema, and political violence in film. In recent years, his scholarship has focused on television drama, particularly Italian and American serials such as Lost and The Sopranos , with a growing emphasis on global and comparative frameworks. The most recent publications reflect a trajectory from feminist literary studies to media and television analysis, culminating in two ongoing book projects: Belfagor e dintorni on classic Italian television and Television without Borders on transnational serial narratives. These works highlight his interdisciplinary approach and evolving focus on media globalization. Scientific Contributions: Rooms With a View: Feminist Diary Fiction (2002) Co-editor, Terrorism Italian Style (2011) Co-editor, Remembering Aldo Moro (2012) Co-editor, Nuovo cinema politico (2016) Lombardi has played a significant role in academic leadership, directing the Italian program at CSI and currently leading the Comparative Literature program at the Graduate Center. He has not received any explicitly mentioned scientific awards, but his editorial and book projects indicate recognition in his field. He teaches courses on Italian cinema, women writers, the Decadent Movement, and gender studies, contributing to interdisciplinary programs including American Studies, Women’s Studies, and Science, Letters and Society. He is actively engaged in research and has no indication of affiliation with labs or research teams, though his work is deeply embedded in cultural and media studies scholarship. His current projects suggest a continued scholarly trajectory toward comparative media analysis and global television studies.

• Comparative Literature
• Italian Literature
• French Literature
• +13 more

Javier Villa-Flores is an Associate Professor and Associate Director of the Graduate Division of Religion at Emory University. He holds a PhD in Latin American History from UC San Diego (2001), an MA (1998) from the same institution, and a BA in Sociology from the University of Guadalajara (1990). His research focuses on religion, colonialism, and social history in colonial Mexico, particularly examining the intersections of power, language, and legal systems. His major works include *Dangerous Speech: A Social History of Blasphemy in Colonial Mexico* (2006) and his current project on trust and risk in Bourbon New Spain through analysis of 'crimes of falsity.' He has contributed to journals like *Colonial Latin American Review* and co-edited volumes on archives, emotions, and colonial libraries. Teaching specialties include millenarian movements and religious martyrdom in Latin America. Villa-Flores has held fellowships from institutions including the NEH, Huntington Library, and Max Planck Institute. His work explores how colonial authorities used legal frameworks to enforce social control through concepts like blasphemy, forgery, and perjury, revealing how marginalized groups navigated these systems. Recent publications highlight the role of trust and its betrayal in shaping colonial governance and identity formation. Collaborative projects include special journal issues on archives and edited volumes on emotional history and library destruction. His research bridges historiography with interdisciplinary methods, emphasizing archival material and performative aspects of colonial power.

• Latin American History
• Colonial Studies
• Religion in Colonial Mexico
• +4 more

Professor Vetri Nathan is an Associate Professor in the Department of European Languages and Transcultural Studies (ELTS) at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) . He founded and directs the Multispecies Futures Lab , previously known as the Cybercene Lab , which explores the intersections of environmental and digital humanities through multispecies kinship and ecocultural sustainability. His scholarly work spans Italy, the Mediterranean, and global contexts, focusing on migration, cinema, and food studies. Education: Ph.D., Italian Studies, Stanford University (2009) M.A., Italian Studies, Stanford University B.A., Connecticut College Professor Nathan’s research investigates cultural foundations of environmental wellbeing , multispecies solidarity , and hybrid cultural identities , particularly in Italy and the Mediterranean. His lab projects analyze the digital revolution’s impact on ecological systems, Indigenous knowledge, and biopolitical conflicts. His publications include Marvelous Bodies: Italy’s New Migrant Cinema (2017) and recent articles on topics like Somali culinary identity (2023), Mediterranean ecocultural hybridity (2011), and affect theory in Italian cinema (2010). Future work includes the monograph The Cybercene: Multispecies Healing and Habitability in a Transformed World , which defines a new ecocultural sub-era of the Anthropocene. Scientific awards: Outstanding Faculty Annual Award, UPCEA (2013) He collaborates with institutions like Montclair State University and advisory scholars from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and Rutgers University . The lab trains graduate and undergraduate research assistants in multispecies thick mapping and interdisciplinary methodologies.

• Environmental Humanities
• Digital Humanities
• Migration Studies
• +4 more