Random facts

- I wrote my undergraduate thesis on the Italian mystery novel, focusing on the work of Bologna-based giallista Loriano Macchiavelli (not the Medieval Florentine strategist, of course!).

- Once upon a time I was fairly proficient in German. Nowadays, I won't starve to death or have to sleep on the street in Germany (or France, for that matter), but I'm not the most scintillating conversationalist. Most days, I'm fluent in English and Italian.

- I miss a lot of things about Italy: day trips to Venice and Florence, the amazing architecture, the food. Most of all, I miss my friends there. One more reason to love technology: so much easier to keep in touch!

Education

Bachelor of Arts, Italian Language & Literature. Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York. General Honors, Departmental Honors, Thesis Honors, Phi Beta Kappa.

Master of Arts, Journalism & Public Relations. University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee. Morton Thesis Award.

Ph.D., Mass Media & Communication. Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Presidential Fellow; Marion Lashner Award for Excellence in Doctoral Studies.

Also: Vassar-William and Mary summer program in Muenster; Princeton Work in Germany Program in Kassel.

Professional background

I spent more than 15 years working in Italy in various areas of organizational communication and public relations, including crisis management and internal communication. I worked on projects with clients in Italy as well as the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Indonesia, Canada, and the United States. I've also worked as a professional translator for over 20 years.

During my career I have also developed and taught numerous workshops on topics such as trade show communication, crisis communication and management, group dynamics and teamwork, and others. I am a member of the National Communication Association, the International Communication Association, the International Network for Social Network Analysis, and the Academy of Management.

General background

I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, but began my international living at an early age: in high school I spent a year as an exchange student in Australia (Hobart, Tasmania, to be specific). There I was placed with an Italian family. They were so wonderful, when I returned home to the U.S. and went off to college I decided to take an introductory Italian course, so I could include a few phrases in my letters to them. I ended up majoring in Italian, and studying abroad my junior year at the Università degli Studi di Bologna. I spent about a year going back and forth after my graduation, but finally settled in Bologna, where I lived for most of my adult life. I returned to the United States in 2004 for grad school.

For regular occasional updates about me and my work, you can read my blog, Multiplexation.