Since 2023, she is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA) Global Research Fellow at the University of Bologna and a Visiting Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania (USA). She conducts research in the fields of archaeology, ancient architecture, and landscapes. Currently, her research focuses on the different architectural types of Roman maritime villas developed in the Mediterranean basin, exploring the dialogue between domestic architecture and landscape, the exploitation of natural resources for the construction of these buildings, with a particular focus on the water use and potential measures for water recycling. As part of the MSCA program, she serves as the Principal Investigator (PI) for the project CLaRMaV - Coastal Landscapes and Roman Maritime Villas: A Comparative Regional Study of Architectural Models and Environmental Settings (No. 101106554), funded by the EU (€265,099.20). The project involves, in chronological order, the following activities: a three-month secondment at the E-GEA Center - Interuniversity Center for Territory Studies at the University of Bologna, an outgoing phase of 21 months at the University of Pennsylvania (USA), and a return to the University of Bologna. She is the author of the monograph Maritime Villas of Southern Latium: Rediscovering the Architecture and its Wider Context (Oxford and Philadelphia: Oxbow, ISBN 979-8-88857-215-3), co-editor of the volume Transcultural Architecture in the Hellenistic and Roman Mediterranean (Bloomsbury, forthcoming), and of scholarly articles.
Education
She graduated in Classical Archaeology at the University of Florence in 2006 (BA), continuing her studies at Sapienza University of Rome, where she completed a Master's degree in Archaeology in 2010, followed by a Second-Level Master's degree in 2011 in "Architecture for Archaeology - Archaeology for Architecture: Construction Sites, Projects, and Exhibitions in Archaeological Areas," which she earned from both the Faculty of Architecture and the Faculty of Philosophy, Literature, Humanities, and Oriental Studies. In 2019, she obtained her PhD in Classics from the University of Reading (UK), funded by the competitive AHRC Scholarship awarded by the British government.
According to Italian D.M. 226 of 14/12/2021, the academic recognition of the qualification of Doctor of Philosophy has been conferred for the PhD program "Scienze Storiche e Archeologiche: Memoria, Civiltà e Patrimonio" at the University of Bologna.
Continuing Education
- University of Pennsylvania (USA), Penn Museum. Penn Museum Certificate in Museum Teaching and Learning (2025). Training Courses: 1) Introduction to Object-Based Teaching; 2) Teaching critical thinking with primary sources; 3) The pedagogy of engaging Museum activities; 4) Scaffolding object-based lessons and assessments; 5) Teaching lesson demonstration and presentation of teaching statement.
- University of Pennsylvania (USA), Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Innovation. Advanced courses for Faculty Members: 1) Workshop with Joan Ockman, Stuart Weitzman School of Design, Architecture: Learning from Teaching: Reflections on Forty Years in Classroom (2025). 2) Talking to Your Students About Inappropriate AI Use (2025). 3) Motivating Students to Prepare for Class (2025). 4) Accessible Pedagogy: Captioning & Transcription Basics (2025). 5) Creating a Syllabus that Sets Clear Expectations to Help Students Learn (2025). 6) Crafting Lectures on Complicated Material (2024). 7) Writing with AI: Implications for Designing Writing Assignments (2024).
- University of Reading (UK), Centre for Quality and Support Development. Post-graduate Certification in Preparing to Teach. Training Courses: 1) Preparing to teach: Introduction to teach and learning (2016). 2) Large group presentation skills (2016) 3) Small group teaching (2015). 4) Marking and feedback (2015).
- University of Reading (UK), Reading Research Development Programme. Research Training Courses: Open Access and Research Data Management (2016); Preparing Posters (Theory & Practical) one-day session (2016); How will employers interview you? (2015); Getting your first academic job (2015); Career Journey: from PhD to Study Advisor (2015); Training/induction session to invigilate (2014); Effective time management (2014); How to write a thesis-getting started? (2014); How to write a literary review? (2014); Sourcing Information for a literary review – information retrieval (2014); Academic writing skills for non-native Speakers (2014).
Academic Career
During her PhD at the department of Classics at the University of Reading, she held various roles, including Sessional Lecturer, Examiner for both intermediate and final written assessments, and Invigilator for final exams. From 2018 to 2019, she worked as a research assistant within the same department. Following that, she served as a researcher at Christian-Albrecht University of Kiel in Germany from 2021 to 2022. In 2023, she began her position as an MSCA Global Fellow at the Department of History and Cultures - DISCI at the University of Bologna, and Visiting Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania (USA, Feb. 2024-Oct. 2025). In October 2025, she was a visiting lecturer at the Graduate School of Design, Harvard University (USA). In 2026, she is visiting lecturer at the School of Specialization in Archaeological Heritage at the University of Pisa. She co-supervises undergraduate and postgraduate research theses (2024–present).
Teaching
- Graduate School of Design, Harvard University:
HIS-4521 Translations and Negotiations: The Roman Landscape in the Modern World (co-docenza, 2025).
- University of Pennsylvania, Penn Museum:
Teaching Session within the Daily Dig Program: CLaRMaV's Engagement with Penn Museum Artifacts—Gender and Diversity in Ancient Living Spaces (2025).
- University of Pennsylvania, Penn Museum:
Teaching on Mediterranean Architectural Heritage at the Penn Museum (2025)
- School of Specialization in Archaeological Heritage, University of Pisa:
L-ANT/07 - History of Domestic Architecture and Urban Landscapes in the Roman World (2026).
- Department of Classics, University of Reading:
CL1CB - Rome in the Augustan Age (2014-2015);
CL1RH - The Rise and Fall of the Republic (2016-2018).
Consulting Specialist
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (USA), College of Arts & Sciences, Department of Classics (2025-present). Architectural Reconstruction Consultant for the NEH-funded Digital Humanities Project “Toward an Archaeology of Lived Experience: Modeling Embodied Identities at Pompeii.” Provided guidance and expertise to student programmers of the Université Catholique de l’Ouest, Laval, to design a digital recreation of the ancient Roman house Casa della Regina Carolina (Pompeii) and its garden.
Scientific Activity
She has participated in numerous national and international research projects. Since 2022, she has served as the ancient architecture specialist of the scientific excavation project at the Casa della Regina Carolina in Pompeii (VIII.3.14), a collaboration between Cornell University (USA) and the University of Bologna. As part of the same project, she is consulting specialist (in the role of contractor) for the creation of the 3D model of the site, created by the Cornell University in collaboration with the Université Catholique de L’Ouest (Laval and Nantes) and in partnership with the CNRS AOrOc laboratory in Paris, funded by the NEH Digital Humanities Advanced Grant ($150,000.00). In 2019, as an archaeologist, she took part in the Upper Sabina Tiberina Project in Vacone (Rieti), which was a collaboration between Rutgers University (USA) and the University of Alberta (Canada). From 2013 to 2017, she worked as an archaeologist specializing in painted plasters and was responsible for the plans for Area IV in the Tunisian-British Utica Project in Utica (Tunisia), a partnership between the University of Oxford and the Institut National du Patrimoine Tunisie. Additionally, she was involved in the Villa Magna Project (2008-2010) in Sgurgola (Frosinone) as an archaeologist and specialist in painted plasters, collaborating with the University of Pennsylvania and the British School at Rome. Throughout her career, she has participated in numerous archaeological excavations, including the Roman villa of Pollena Trocchia (Naples, 2013), which is part of the Apolline Project conducted by Università degli Studi Suor Orsola Benincasa and Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II. Other significant excavations include the Roman villa of Casale di Piazza Armerina (Enna, 2007), conducted by Sapienza University of Rome, the Etruscan site of Poggio Civitella in Montalcino (Siena, 2005), conducted by the University of Florence, and the medieval archaeological site of San Vincenzo al Volturno (Isernia, 2004-2007), conducted by the Università degli Studi Suor Orsola Benincasa. From 2014 to 2019, she worked as a co-researcher, director, and producer for FIGO PRODUÇÕES, a company dedicated to producing cultural documentaries in Brazil. Between 2011 and 2012, she worked for the project titled "Promotion of Cultural, Historical, and Artistic Heritage of the Molise Region – Culture and Territory Project," which was funded by the Molise Region for the municipality of Monteroduni (Isernia).
Main Internships and Continuing Education
- 11/2023-01/2024. Internship. E-GEA – Centro Interuniversitario per gli Studi del Territorio, University of Bologna.
- 05/2014. Training Course. Mapping of existing datasets in CIDOC-CRM, EU FP7 ARIADNE (No. 313193), PIN-Polo Universitario Città di Prato.
- 11-12/2011. Internship. Rome Capitale - Sovraintendenza Capitolina, Servizio Territorio, Carta dell’Agro, Nuova FUR.
- 06/2011-08/2011. Internship. Sovraintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Roma - Sistema Informativo Territoriale Archeologico di Roma (SITAR).
- 10/2005. Internship. Laboratory for the restoration of the frescoes of site of San Vincenzo al Volturno, University of Suor Orsola Benincasa
- 10/2001-05/2002. Training Course: Multimedia Technicians for Cultural and Environmental Heritage’. Internship organised by the Ente Nazionale per l’Addestramento, Formazione e l’Orientamento Professionale of Rome and held at the Liceo Scientifico E. Majorana, Isernia (Italy). - European Commission Certification (art. 26 L. 845/78 D.L. 424/99) issued by the Ministero del Lavoro e delle Politiche Sociali.
Grants/Fellowships Awarded
- 11/2023. Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA) Global Fellowship (3 years); funding allocated by HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01-01–MSCA Post-doctoral Fellowships 2022 for the CLaRMaV project no. 101106554.
- 09/2018. TRAC Worldwide Bursary, TRAC Standing Committee (UK).
- 09/2013-09/2017. AHRC Fellowship, University of Reading.
- 09/2013-09/2017. Annual Maintenance Grant, University of Reading.
- 09/2013-09/2017. Classics Department Fund for Research, University of Reading.
- 07/2017. Conference Grant, University of Leicester (UK).
- 07/2016. Wardman Memorial Fund, University of Reading.
- 04/2016. Grahman Robertson Travel Award, University of Reading.
- 05/2014. Winner of the ARIADNE TNA Sponsorship grant funded by the EU FP7 ARIADNE (No. 313193).
- 05/2013. AIAC grant awarded for the organization and participation in the XVIII International Congress of Classical Archaeology, in collaboration with the MNAR Research Department, Mérida, Spain.
- 09/2003-12/2006. Scholarship funded by the Azienda per il Diritto allo Studio Universitario della Toscana (DSU), University of Florence.
- 01/2001. Travel Award conferred by the Ente Nazionale Addestramento Formazione Orientamento Professionale (ENAFOP).
Other Activities
Member of:
- International Council of Museums (ICOM)
- European Association of Archaeologists (EAA)
- European Architectural History Network (EAHN)
- Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA)
- Marie Curie Alumni Association North America Chapter
- Institute of Classical Studies – School of Advanced Study University of London
- Centre for Italian History - University of Reading
- Editorial Board of PLANARCH - Planning and Design Research
- Anonymous peer reviewer for: Fundus. International Journal on the Rural World in the Roman Period
