Nicola Lercari

Nicola Lercari is an Assistant Professor of World Heritage in the Department of Anthropology and Heritage Studies at the University of California, Merced. He earned a Ph.D. in History and Computing from the University of Bologna, Italy, and has led digital humanities and archaeology projects across Italy, the United States, Turkey, and Mexico.

His research and teaching integrate traditional and innovative approaches to heritage studies, focusing on public and digital humanities, people-centered design, historic preservation, and museum studies. At UC Merced, he established the World Heritage Minor and co-founded the Interdisciplinary Humanities Graduate Group.

As Chair of the Wide-Area Visualization Environment (WAVE) and Director of the Heritage Interpretation Visualization and Experience (HIVE) Lab, he advances immersive technologies for heritage research. His awards include grants from the National Science Foundation, Henry Luce Foundation, and Hellman Family Fellows Award.