Faculty

Massimo Agus, photographer and professor, received his B.F.A. in Architecture from the University of Florence in 1975. Dr. Agus teaches courses in Photography History at the University of Siena, and courses in Photographic Technique at Fondazione Studio Marangoni in Florence.

Massimo Avuri has a degree in Foreign Language and Literature from the University of Florence and a specialization in Teaching Italian as a Foreign Language from the University of Siena for Foreigners.

He has worked as an editorial consultant for French and German language fiction and has translated two novels by the French author Henri-Frédéric Blanc. After a long stay in Germany, where he taught Italian language courses at public and private schools, he served as a collaborator and Italian language expert for the Centro Linguistico di Ateneo at the University of Florence. Currently, he is a professor of Italian language at NYU Florence, where he has contributed to the creation of teaching materials.

Fancesca M. Baldry, Collection Manager of the Acton Collection at Villa La Pietra, NYU, received her PhD in Art History and History of Conservation from the University of Florence in 1996. She has worked extensively in European museums and teaches courses in the field of Art History, including "Florentine Villas", and "Art Collecting and Museology".

Dorothea Barrett  received her PhD in Literature from Cambridge University (UK). She has been teaching for NYU in Florence since Fall 2001 and offers "Postmodern Fiction: International Perspective" and "Survey of Modern Italian Literature".

Kate Bolton (BA.Hons; MPhil.) teaches Baroque and Classical Music and Writing courses at NYU in Florence. Previously, she was a Senior Producer of Arts and Classical Music for BBC Radio 3 and the Artistic Director of the Lufthansa Festival of Baroque music, London. 

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Alessandra Capodacqua received her degree in English Language and Literature from the Istituto Universitario Orientale in Naples (Italy). She is a photographer and a curator of exhibitions. She teaches photography courses at all levels for NYU in Florence.  

Roberto Caracciolo, Adjunct Professor at NYU in Florence and at Temple University in Rome, studied art at the Istituto d'Arte of Urbino and at the New York Studio School. He teaches a studio art course, "Projects in Drawing: The Figure". Currently, Mr. Caracciolo is also the Arts Liaison at the American Academy in Rome.

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Silvia Catitti received both her Masters in Architecture and her Ph.D.
in Architectural History and Restoration at the University of Rome, La
Sapienza. Her scholarly research ranges from Renaissance architecture to urban studies. At NYU Florence she has been teaching architecture and architectural history courses since 2007.

Lisa Cesarani received her PhD in American Literature from NYU in May 2000. In addition to teaching "Cultural Foundations" in the Liberal Studies Program in Florence, she is also the Assistant Director for Academic Support at NYU in Florence. 

Silvia Chegia obtained a Master of Arts degree with first-class honors in Italian Literature in 1990 at the Facoltà di Lettere e Filosofia at the University of Florence. She afterwards received a Diploma of specialization in teaching Italian as a foreign language at the University of Siena for Foreigners.

She taught Italian at the Centro di Cultura per Stranieri at the University of Florence, at the Centro Linguistico at the University of Siena for Foreigners, at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and at the Centro Linguistico di Ateneo at the University of Florence.

She is currently an Adjunct Professor of Italian language at the NYU Florence where she has been teaching since 1999.

Alessandro Chiaramonte received his PhD in Political Science from the University of Florence where he is currently an associate professor. He teaches "Italian Politics and Government." 

Margherita Ciacci is a professor of Sociology at the University of Florence where she also received her PhD. She teaches "Sociology of Consumerism" and "Sociology of the Arts" and has been a member of the NYU Florence faculty since Fall 1998. 

Nicolò Conti received his PhD in Political Science from the University of Florence. He is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the Unitelma Sapienza University in Rome. His main research focus is on parties, political elites and the EU. At NYU Florence, he teaches Western European Politics.

Valentina Contini received her PhD in Italian Studies from the Facolta’ di Lettere e Filosofia of the University of Florence. She taught Italian and Italian Literature at the Centro di Cultura per Stranieri and Italian language at the Centro Linguistico di Ateneo of the University of Florence. She is currently an Adjunct Professor of Italian language at the NYU in Florence where she has been teaching since 1999.

Nicole Cuddeback has an M.F.A. in Creative Writing and Literature from the University of Houston and a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College. She has taught Writing I and II in NYU's Liberal Studies Program in Florence since 2000. Author of the book of poems The Saint of Burning Down and works that have appeared in a variety of literary journals, she is also currently pursuing a degree in Archeology at the University of Florence.

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Matteo Duni received his PhD in History and Civilization from the European University Institute. He teaches the courses on "Medieval Church", "Italy during the Renaissance: Florence" and "Magic, Religion and Inquisition" at NYU in Florence. 

Bruce Edelstein, Coordinator for Graduate Programs and Advanced Research at NYU in Florence, received his PhD in Fine Arts at Harvard University in 1995. Prof. Edelstein has a wide array of research interests in the history of Italian Renaissance art and architecture, including patronage, court culture, and women's studies. Since 1999, he has taught various courses at NYU in Florence, including: "Medici Patronage", "Early Masters of Italian Renaissance Painting", "The Age of Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo", "European Architecture of the Renaissance", and, for the Graduate Program, the "Works in Progress Seminar". 

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Charles Ewell received his BA from Yale University and his PhD in Humanities/Classical Archaeology from Florida State University in 2000. Dr. Ewell teaches "Etruscan Art and Archaeology" at NYU in Florence, and is director of the summer archaeological excavations at Palazzaccio (Lucca).  

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Giampiero Gallo is Professor of Econometrics at the School of Economics, University of Florence. He received his PhD in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1989. Previous appointments were with the Department of Econometrics at the University of Geneva, the World Bank, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the University of California at San Diego. He has authored several scientific articles on forecasting, financial volatility, and European exchange rate management. At NYU in Florence, he teaches "Statistics", "International Finance", and "Money and Banking". 

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Grazia Giannelli received her degree in Foreign Languages and Literature from the University of Florence, thesis on the Acquisition of Syntax. She has taught Italian language at the Arizona University and at the University of Florence. Since 2005, she has been teaching courses in Italian language at NYU Florence and from 2008 to 2012 she also taught "Service Learning: Community Service in Florence" in the graduate and undergraduate programs.

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Jeff Kiesner, Assistant Professor at the University of Padova, received his PhD in School Psychology from the University of Oregon in 1997. Dr. Kiesner teaches courses in developmental psychology, clinical psychology, and statistical methods for research in psychology. 

Nancy A. Leszczynski, Landscape Architect, received her MLA from the University of Virginia in 1991. Ms. Leszczynski teaches courses in art history, including "Gardens and Landscapes of Tuscany" at NYU in Florence. 

Giovanni Liberatore is Professor of Corporate Valuation at the University of Florence. He holds a PhD in Accounting from the University of Pisa (1992). As an Adjunct Professor, he teaches "Financial Accounting" at NYU in Florence, and "Management Control" at LUISS Business School in Rome. He has been a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Auditor in Italy since 1992.  

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Patrice Lombardi, Artist/Painter and Professor of Painting at NYU in Florence, regularly exhibits her work in England, Italy, and the United States. Her work is in collections around the world. She received her MFA from the Graduate School of Art at Villa Schifanoia. At NYU in Florence, Lombardi teaches "Drawing and Painting: Seeing Florence", and "Introduction to Painting". 

Davide Lombardo is preparing his dissertation at the European University Institute (EUI) in the field of History. He teaches the "Culture of the City: Italian Urban Life" course at NYU in Florence and also continues to lecture at the EUI. 

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Megan Metters is a PhD candidate in History at the European University Institute. Her dissertation research focuses on the development of immigrant education policy in France and the United States in the post-war period to 1985. She teaches "The History of Immigration in Europe and in the United States since World War II" at NYU in Florence.  

Mauro Mussolin, Adjunct Professor at NYU in Florence, received his PhD in History of Architecture in 2001. Dr. Mussolin teaches courses in Architectural and Art History, including "Holy People, Holy Places", "Renaissance Art", and "Renaissance Architecture". 

Eric Nicholson received his PhD in Renaissance Studies from Yale University (1991), and has performed in and directed numerous early modern plays, as well as published several articles in this same field. At NYU in Florence, he teaches courses on cultural history, early modern drama, and the performance of classic theatre.  

Scott Palmer received his PhD in English from Tufts University in 2006. His areas of specialization include nineteenth-century transatlantic literature of migration, travel, tourism; early nineteenth-century visual culture (photography, lithography, cartography); race and cultural studies. 

Alan Pascuzzi, Adjunct Professor of Art History and Fine Arts at NYU in Florence, Fullbright Scholar to Italy, received his PhD in Art History from Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri in 1999. At NYU in Florence, he teaches courses in Art History and Fine Arts, including "Early Masters in Renaissance Painting", "Renaissance Apprentice", "Introduction to Drawing", and "Drawing the Human Figure".  

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Massimo Reale graduated from the University of Florence in Humanities and Philosophy. He teaches both advanced Italian language courses:"Quattro Chiacchiere: Conversations in Italian," and "Advanced Review of Modern Italian."

Giorgio Ricchiuti is Assistant Professor at the University of Florence, where he received his PhD in Development Economics in 2004. At NYU in Florence, Dr. Ricchiuti has taught "Economic Principles I" (Macroeconomics) since 2007. 

Matteo Sansone studied piano and composition at the Conservatorio S. Pietro a Maiella, Naples. He received his PhD in Italian from Edinburgh University, where he also taught for many years. Since 2001, he has taught "Italian Opera" at NYU in Florence. 

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Debora Spini received her PhD in the History of Political Thought at the Scuola Superiore di Studio all'Università di S. Anna in Pisa in 1995. She has been a member of the General Studies Program faculty at NYU in Florence since 1998 and teaches the "Social Foundations" course. 

Laura Tarabusi received her degree in Foreign Languages and Literature from the University of Florence in 1990. She was the Director of the University of Florence Language Resource Center from 1997 to 2000. Since 2000, she has been teaching courses in Italian language and culture at NYU in Florence, including "Service Learning: Community Service in Florence", and "Conversations in Italian".  

Giuseppe Toscano received his Diploma in Photography at Fondazione Studio Marangoni in 2003, where he teaches all levels of photography courses to NYU in Florence students. He has exhibited in Italy and abroad.  

David Travis received his PhD in History from Cambridge University (UK) in 1985. Dr. Travis teaches courses in modern European history, including "Italy since 1815", "European Fascism", and "Europe since 1945: History and Literature". 

Joshua A. Tucker is Professor of Politics with an affiliated appointment in the Department of Russian and Slavic Studies at New York University (NYU) and an Affiliated Professor of Politics at NYU Abu Dhabi.  Professor Tucker specializes in comparative politics with an emphasis on mass political behavior in East-Central Europe and the former Soviet Union, including elections and voting, the development of partisan attachment, and public opinion formation.  He is the author of Regional Economic Voting: Russia, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, 1990-99 (Cambridge University Press, 2006).  His work has appeared in numerous academic journals, including the American Journal of Political Science, British Journal of Politics, Comparative Politics, Comparative Political Studies, the Journal of Politics, and the Annual Review of Political Science, and his opinions have been published in The New Republic, The Wall Street Journal, Al Jazeera English, and the International Herald Tribune.  In 2006, he was awarded the Emerging Scholar Award for the top scholar in the field of Elections, Public Opinion, and Voting Behavior within 10 years of the doctorate.  He has served as a Truman National Security Fellow since 2008, and was the recipient of NYU's "Golden Dozen" teaching award in 2011.  He is currently the Vice-President of the Midwest Political Science Association and a Member of the Executive Board of the Association for the Study of East European and Eurasian Societies.  He is also a co-author of the award-winning politics and policy blog The Monkey Cage (www.themonkeycage.org). 

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Margherita Velucchi received her degree in Statistics and completed her PhD in Economics from the University of Siena in 2005. At NYU in Florence, Dr. Velucchi teaches "Economic Principles II", "Introduction to Economic Issues", and "Contemporary Issues in Economics: Italy". 

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Vito Zagarrio received his PhD in Cinema Studies from NYU in 1995. He is a Professor at the University of Rome 3 DAMS. He teaches the "Italian Cinema" course at NYU in Florence. 

Jane Zaloga received her PhD in History and Theory of Architecture at Harvard University. She currently teaches both "Early Florentine Renaissance Art," and "Florentine High Renaissance Art."