Complimenti and félicitations! Graduates persevere in pandemic

This year, we celebrate ten MA students finishing their degrees, and eight students completing the doctorate. In the Italian MA program, Lucia Casiraghi, Nicolò Salmaso, and Alvise Stefani have all completed their degrees, and will all continue in the PhD program. Jonathan Hall received the MA degree in French/Francophone Studies and will continue doctoral studies in the Department as well. Shane O’Bannon completed the MA degree in French Instruction as well as an Area Certificate in College Pedagogy this summer. Five students have completed their MA degrees in French Linguistics: Arielle Roadman and Scott Kunkel (both Dual Masters students in the Linguistics Department), Lee Killey, Clara Miller-Broomfield, and Jenica Jones. Roadman, Killey, and Miller-Broomfield will all continue their doctoral studies at IU-Bloomington, while Kunkel and Jones will pursue further graduate studies elsewhere.

When asked about their memories from the program, this year’s MA graduates reflected on the compelling content of coursework, the tight knit cohort of graduate students, and the learning experience and support they received as Associate Instructors, especially from the Directors of Language Instruction and the Course Coordinators. Through an intensive two year program made all the more challenging by the pandemic environment, our M.A. cohort has overcome the adversities of the moment and is moving onward with an enriched sense of purpose.

Our PhD graduates also stayed focused despite the additional distractions and isolation of the pandemic.

Carlotta Vacchelli, Italian Studies

Vacchelli defended her dissertation, La funzione-Pazienza. L’influenza di Andrea Pazienza nel graphic novel italiano, in September 2020, under the direction of Professor Marco Arnaudo. Her work focused on the influence of Andrea Pazienza, a comic book creator, on contemporary Italian culture. After a year as a post-doc at the Center for Italian Modern Art in New York City, she will start a new post-doc position at the Bibliotheca Hertziana of Rome for 2021-22. Vacchelli is also Associate Editor of Simultanea, a journal of Italian pop culture founded in 2019 by Professors Andrea Ciccarelli and Marco Arnaudo.

Luisa Garrido Baez, Italian Studies

In her thesis, La gamificazione come risorsa educativa: Motivazione, acquisizione e differenziazione nei corsi universitari online di lingua straniera, Garrido Baez explored the use of aspects of video gaming in online foreign language classes. She successfully defended her dissertation, with the support of her dissertation chair, Professor Colleen Ryan, in September 2020. After several years at the University of Southern Mississippi, she is now a Lecturer in Italian at the University of Michigan.

Francesco Samarini, Italian Studies

Samarini defended his dissertation entitled Philip Roth e l’Italia in March 2021, and received his degree in May. He is grateful for the dedicated support of his dissertation director, Provost Professor Andrea Ciccarelli, as well as the department faculty and staff during his time at IU. Francesco is beginning his summer embarking on new research in Geneva, Switzerland, studying a collection of early modern books with the generous support of a Fondation Barbier-Mueller research fellowship. In Fall 2021, Francesco will begin a new appointment as a lecturer at Dickinson College.

Laura Demsey, French Linguistics

Demsey plans to defend her dissertation this summer. She is working with Associate Professor Kevin Rottet as her dissertation chair on a thesis titled Changes in the Definite Determiner System of New England French.

“When I came to IU, I expected to receive an education in French Linguistics to become prepared for my career later on,” writes Demsey. “I knew that I would take classes, and that I would teach, but what I didn’t necessarily expect was to actually begin my career—a very dynamic one, with many different facets.” Reflecting on her experiences designing curricula, working for the Global Village residential center, making scholarly connections across campus, organizing a teaching colloquium, and presenting at international conferences, she says “The opportunities I’ve been able to take advantage of while at IU are more than I ever hoped for.” Demsey has secured a position as Teaching Associate Professor of French at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill starting this fall.

We are very proud of all our 2021 graduates!