PhD in International Relations, University of Southern California, May 2009

MA in International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame, August 1996

Laurea (BA) in Political Science, University of Florence (Italy), June 1992

I am joining Saddleback College in Spring 2010, when I am teaching International Relations PS 14. I love to help students become active and informed global citizens, and be the change they wish for the world. Prior to joining Saddleback I taught Italian at California State University, Long Beach.

I was born and raised in Italy and have lived in the US for the past 15 years, but go back to visit my family every summer. I am a peace and social justice feminist activist and belong to several organizations among which the Episcopal Peace Fellowship and the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. I have volunteered for WomenShelter in Long Beach as a certified Domestic Violence Counselor/Advocate and have been the Coordinator of the Peace and Conflict Studies Program at USC.

I am married to Bruce with whom I have one son, Alexander. The three of us love hiking, traveling and biking. We bike almost every week from our house in the northern part of Long Beach to the Pike, eat ice cream and visit the bookstore. Then we bike back climbing up Signal Hill and enjoying the thrill of speeding downhill on our way back home. The picture shows the three of us on a recent trip to the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead.