Carla Cornette

Carla Cornette is an Associate Teaching Professor of Italian at the University of Missouri (Mizzou), affiliated with the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. She teaches Italian language and culture courses, including specialized topics like Black Italy: The Politics and History of Race in Contemporary Italy and Sicily: Crossroads in the Mediterranean. Her research focuses on postcolonial literature and film, with an emphasis on African diaspora women’s voices and interdisciplinary frameworks like Black Feminism and Critical Adoption Studies. She leads study abroad programs in Sicily and has organized panels at national/international conferences on topics ranging from Sicilian Studies to inclusive language pedagogy.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Italian, University of Wisconsin-Madison (2018)
• M.A. in Italian, Middlebury College (2011)

Research Interests: Cornette’s work bridges postcolonial theory and Black Feminism to analyze narratives of displacement, identity, and family dynamics in Italian contexts. She co-leads study abroad programs and advocates for diversity, equity, and open educational resources in language teaching.

Professional Engagement: She has presented at conferences on migration, inclusivity in Italian Studies, and OERs. Her 2020 peer-reviewed article examines Ethiopian-Italian adoption memoirs through postcolonial and critical adoption lenses.

Affiliations: Faculty affiliate of the Afro-Romance Institute and the Interdisciplinary Migration Studies Institute at Mizzou.