Facoltà italiana

Susan Briziarelli, Associate Professor

Dr. Briziarelli is on leave for the 2008-09 academic year. In her absence, Emanuela Patroncini has been appointed the acting Coordinator of the Italian. Questions regarding the Italian program should be addressed to Prof. Patroncini (eboswell@sandiego.edu).

Beatriz Lado, Associate Professor, Language Coordinator

Dr. Lado received her Licenciatura in English Philology from the University of Valencia; an M.A. in English from Northwestern State University; an M.A. in Linguistics from Louisiana State University; and an M.S. in Spanish Linguistics from Georgetown University, where she also received her Ph.D. in Spanish Applied Linguistics.

She will be coordinating the core requirement classes in all languages taught at USD.

Dr. Lado's research interests include the interaction between external (e.g., type of feedback and degree of explicitness in pedagogical interventions) and internal variables (e.g., prior language experience and cognitive capacity) in the development of a non-primary language. Her other interests include the effects of verbalizing while performing a task to learn a second language (i.e., reactivity), the effects of CMC interaction on language learning, and the role of explicit and implicit language policies.

Beatrice de Lorenzi Hepp, Lecturer

Prof. Hepp earned her Italian Laurea di Dottore in Humanities and History from the State University of Milan, with a dissertation in Modern History about the relation of the Vatican and Mussolini.

She is a professor of beginning and intermediate Italian at USD and also teaches at San Diego State University and San Diego area Community Colleges.

Contact her by email at bhepp@sandiego.edu or by phone at 619-260-2398.

Maria Kotsaftis, Lecturer

Dr. Kotsaftis earned an M.A. at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (Munich, Germany) and a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at Purdue University.

She teaches advanced literature courses in Italian at USD as well as German and Italian at other local institutions.

Contact her by email at maria6@sandiego.edu or by phone (number not yet assigned).

Silvia Metzger, Lecturer

Prof. Metzger holds a Laurea di Dottore from the Università degli Studi di Genoa.

She teaches beginning and intermediate language classes.

Contact her by email at smetzger@sandiego.edu or by phone at 619-260-2398.

Emanuela Patroncini Boswell, Lecturer

Prof. Patroncini is the Acting Coordinator of the Italian section for the 2008-2009 academic year. She earned her Dottorato at the Università di Bologna in Foreign Languages and Literatures. She is currently enrolled for an advanced degree: Didactis and promotion of Italian Language and Culture to Foreigners."

She teaches elementary and intermediate classes at USD.

Contact her by email at eboswell@sandiego.edu or by phone at 619-260-2768.

Graziella Spinelli, Adjunct Instructor

Prof. Prof. Spinelli holds her Dottorato in Italian Language and Literature from the Università di Bologna, a graduate credential in Spanish and World Literature from San Diego State University, and has also taken specialized courses in language teaching pedagogy at University of California, San Diego.

As the Course-Chair for Italian, Prof. Spinelli is responsible for the curriculum of first and second semester (elementary) language classes and promoting the development and growth of these courses. She teaches elementary and intermediate language as well as conversation. Prof. Spinelli has also taken groups of third semester students to Italy where they complete their Core Curriculum in an intensive summer program in Perugia.

Prof. Spinelli was the co-founder of the Italian Community Center (ICC) for the purpose of promoting the Italian language and fostering Italian language and culture throughout the San Diego community. She served as President from 1980-1983, and as a member of its Board of Directors after stepping down. In addition, Prof. Spinelli resumed the role of President from 2002-2003.

In service to the community, she as organized various cultural events and activities, such as Qui si parla italiano!, a monthly conversational group with a guest speaker on some topic related to Italian culture. She provides pedagogical guidance and supervision for the ICC’s Language Teaching Program, which has an enrollment of more than three hundred students.

Contact her by email at gs2@sandiego.edu or by phone at 619-260-2398.

Stacy Tworoger, Lecturer

Prof. Tworoger studied at the American University of Rome as part of her undergraduate curriculum at USD. She earned an M.A. in Italian at Middlebury College, where she studied in Florence.

She teaches elementary language at USD.

Contact her by email at stworoger@sandiego.edu or by phone at 619-260-2798