Credentials
Zachary Nowak received his undergraduate degree in history at Kenyon College in 1999 and his master’s in Italian Studies from Middlebury College. He has also been a guest lecturer for Harvard University’s summer program in Italy.
Courses Taught at Umbra
More Than Just a Meal: The History and Politics of Food in Italy
Business of Food: Italy and Beyond (with Prof. Shaw)
Sustainability and Food Production in Italy
Research Interests
Food history (especially the transition to agriculture and the “new food critique”)
The “other history” of the Risorgimento
Perugian history
Contemporary Italian history
Teaching Philosophy
My background is modern European history, with an emphasis on food history. I am neither a foodie or a good cook, but I do love to use food as a lens to look at our world. Food is the meeting point between history, politics, sociology, and the sciences, and allows me to do “total history”…and share some great meals with students.
Teaching is one of the best things that ever happened to me, especially when I can use the city of Perugia as an extended classroom. I feel that any good university-level course ought to attempt to answer some part of the question “What is the Good Life?”, and I try to keep this in mind as I teach. I love the subject matters I teach and hope that I transmit that enthusiasm to the students that are with me in the classroom. I have a particular interest in didactics and try to be aware not only of what I teach, but also how I teach it.
Professional websites
Zachary Nowak’s Academia.edu profile.
Food Conference:Perugia (co-organizer)