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.

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.

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 and Gender Studies, with a particular emphasis on Italian feminism and intersectionality.Dr. Donahue has her own writing and artistic practice. 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. She has recently held poetic performances and built installations at institutions such as MAMbo, MACRO, Guggenheim Venice, Kunsthalle Bern, and MACTE Termoli. She is winner of the 2026 Premio Gallarate and the Italian Council Talent Development Prize 2025/2026.

Nomadic at heart, Chiara moved to Bologna in 2017, getting to know the city through grassroots community work. Born in Northern Italy with Southern roots, she has long combined advocacy for human rights with professional expertise in social and environmental justice, through local and global lens. Based on holistic and intersectional approaches, her work mainly spans public and private institutions, NGOs, and social enterprises focusing on marginalization, community empowerment, youth activism, culture and education. Founding member of a feminist and artistic collective and volunteer organizations, she manages projects and consults on DEI, gender, ethics, and sustainability, and designs ethical travel experiences grounded in sustainable tourism and community empowerment. After studying Political Science, she earned an M.Sc. in International Humanitarian Action, conducting research on community-based DDR and Climate Change in collaboration with Monash University, followed by a field research in South Asia. Her subsequent experiences ranged from participation in UN fora to fieldwork across Europe, Africa, and South America. At the Italy Center, she oversees and leads intentional, educational and sustainable travel experiences based on social and environmental justice; she is also the Service Learning and Internship Coordinator and Adjunct Professor of Social Sciences courses.

Eleonora Morganti is a professor in History, where she teaches courses in European and Mediterranean history. During her academic career, she spent four years in Paris at École des Ponts (France) and seven years at the University of Leeds (UK), a Russell Group institution, where she developed her core research in economic urban history in Europe, focusing on topics related to food and transport. She holds a doctorate in Policies for Sustainable Development from the University of Bologna. Her expertise includes history of the European Union and of the Mediterrean region. She has published 14 peer-reviewed articles and 5 book chapters on food hubs, sustainable urban policies, and related topics, and has collaborated with research institutions in the United States (UCSC), Argentina (INTA), and China (SJTU).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Piergiacomo Petrioli, PhD, is an art historian residing in Bologna. His fields of interest include Renaissance Art, History of Restauration and Art criticism, Italian Women Artists, Food and Culture. He has published several articles and books, and recently, with Alden Smith (Baylor University), “The Eloquent Artist”, about Ancient Rhetoric and Italian Prot Renaissance Art. Petrioli has taught History of Art Criticism at the University of Florence, and Art History for many American Universities programs abroad in Italy, such as New York University/Florence, and Dartmouth College/Siena, Boston University in Padua and Venice, University of Oregon/Siena, Brown in Bologna. He is also collaborating with the Japanese Art Magazine Bun-Ten and, as a member of SlowFood in Bologna, lecturing on Art and History of Food. 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.

Dr. Simone Bregni completed his Laurea in Lettere (equivalent to an M.A.) at the Università degli Studi di Torino before leaving Italy to pursue his Ph.D. and teach at Saint Louis University. His areas of expertise include foreign languages, literature, and cultural studies. His scholarly work includes several publications on the benefits of incorporating technology, particularly video games, into language learning and cultural acquisition. Dr. Bregni began partnering with the Italy Center in 2012. He is committed to helping students experience Bologna’s long-standing tradition of leadership in social justice, equity, and civic engagement. Dr. Bregni also teaches upper-division courses in Italian language, literature, and culture and serves as the coordinator of the Italian program.