I am a historian of Italy and the US with expertise in cultural and political studies. I teach at Marian University, where I am an Assistant Professor in the School of Global and Cultural Studies.
About Me
After completing my undergraduate degree at the University of Illinois, Chicago, I spent a year in Budapest, Hungary where I earned a Master's Degree in history at the Central European University. I then returned to my hometown outside of Peoria, IL and worked in the Teaching and Learning Center at Illinois Central College where I also taught. I completed my PhD in history at Indiana University, Bloomington in 2022 and I am now teaching at Marian University in Indianapolis. My research examines political ideas in Italian popular comics during the Fascist era and the early post-WWII years. |
Research
My research focuses on the interplay between politics, ideology, and popular culture. In my upcoming manuscript, to be published by OSU Press, I examined six popular Italian illustrated periodicals from the 1920s through the late 1940s, many of which heavily incorporated comics from the US. The study is a cultural and political history of how various sociopolitical positions became entangled with the Fascist project. The book is scheduled to be released in July 2025 under the title, Comic Fascism: Ideology, Catholicism, and Americanism in Italian Children's Periodicals.
My research focuses on the interplay between politics, ideology, and popular culture. In my upcoming manuscript, to be published by OSU Press, I examined six popular Italian illustrated periodicals from the 1920s through the late 1940s, many of which heavily incorporated comics from the US. The study is a cultural and political history of how various sociopolitical positions became entangled with the Fascist project. The book is scheduled to be released in July 2025 under the title, Comic Fascism: Ideology, Catholicism, and Americanism in Italian Children's Periodicals.
Teaching
I have taught numerous classes at Illinois Central College, Indiana University in Bloomington, and Marian University in Indianapolis. I teach a mixture of classes on global history, European history, and cultural studies. Although I have always strove to impart knowledge of the course content to my students, I have tended to prioritize the skills students can take from the study of history to help them succeed in college and their future careers, namely effectively communicating an evidenced-based argument.
I have taught numerous classes at Illinois Central College, Indiana University in Bloomington, and Marian University in Indianapolis. I teach a mixture of classes on global history, European history, and cultural studies. Although I have always strove to impart knowledge of the course content to my students, I have tended to prioritize the skills students can take from the study of history to help them succeed in college and their future careers, namely effectively communicating an evidenced-based argument.
Instructional Technology
While working at the Teaching and Learning Center at Illinois Central College, I collaborated with my coworkers to coach faculty members in the construction and maintenance of their online course shells, for which we used the Learning Management System Blackboard. We also ran a blog on tech tools for teaching. I later worked again in instructional technology at Ivy Tech Community College in Bloomington, IN, this time tutoring students in navigating Canvas in addition to advising faculty members. As a part of my job, I also led a number of orientations for new students on educational technology and facilitated the creation of statewide standardized online courses. Due to my experience with instructional technology, I have provided assistance for online learning to professors of the History Department at Indiana University over the past year during the shift to online learning as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. My work has led me to learn about a variety of instructional technology tools and online teaching methods, and I have assisted in or directly created dozens of courses.
While working at the Teaching and Learning Center at Illinois Central College, I collaborated with my coworkers to coach faculty members in the construction and maintenance of their online course shells, for which we used the Learning Management System Blackboard. We also ran a blog on tech tools for teaching. I later worked again in instructional technology at Ivy Tech Community College in Bloomington, IN, this time tutoring students in navigating Canvas in addition to advising faculty members. As a part of my job, I also led a number of orientations for new students on educational technology and facilitated the creation of statewide standardized online courses. Due to my experience with instructional technology, I have provided assistance for online learning to professors of the History Department at Indiana University over the past year during the shift to online learning as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. My work has led me to learn about a variety of instructional technology tools and online teaching methods, and I have assisted in or directly created dozens of courses.