Zachary Nowak has worked for The Umbra Institute since 2005. Nowak received his PhD from Harvard University in 2018 and is a food and environmental historian with an interest in how place and taste go together (or don’t). He has written about the history of pizzerias in Naples, Chianti in California, unsalted bread in Perugia, polenta in Italy, terroir nowhere, and truffles all over the world.

Director

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Laura is a one of the Associate Director (along with Jacopo Bernardini) for Umbra programs. A native of nearby Assisi, Laura joined the Umbra Institute in 2013 after completing her Laurea in interpreting and Translation from the University of Perugia and having studied abroad at the University of Leeds (UK). She visits the US regularly, particularly to Boston where part of her family resides.

Associate Director
Administrative and Financial Affairs

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Jacopo Bernardini is one of the Umbra Associate Directors (along with Laura Fronduti). Jacopo worked for six years as a Postdoctoral Researcher of Sociology and Methodology of Social Research at the Faculty of Political Science of the University of Perugia before joining the Umbra team in 2018.

He has published several academic articles and books on Age and Life Cycle, Transition to Adulthood, Generational Conflicts, and the Information Age.

Always ready to lend a helping hand, or contribute to the latest video project, Jacopo is a jack-of-all-trades dedicated to developing quality study abroad programming in and out of the classroom.

Associate Director
Program Management & Institutional Development

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Manuel Barbato received his Laurea with a specialization from the University of Perugia in Anthropology in 2010. He has been working since 2018 at the Umbra Institute, where he is responsible of the Community Engagement Coordination and Food & Sustainability & The Environment Program. In addition to working with Umbra faculty and staff, he is involved in the management and development of all of the Institute’s projects run in cooperation with the Perugian community.

Coordinator for Community Engagement

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Margherita was born and raised in Magione, near the Trasimeno Lake. After obtaining her undergraduate degree in Languages and Foreign Cultures, with a focus on Spanish and Russian, she earned a Master’s degree from the University of Trento in Languages, Tourism, and Cultures. Currently, she is pursuing a Postgraduate degree from the “Fondazione Italia USA” in “Leadership for International Relationships and Made in Italy.”

Margherita has a passion for various outdoor activities, including hiking, climbing, SUP, and kayaking. She is an avid traveler. Additionally, her love for Russian literature and Spanish culture was enriched through her participation in an Erasmus program in Alicante.

Student Services & Community Engagement

Stefano Console received his master’s degree in international communications from the Universita’ per Stranieri di Perugia in 2005. He has been working at Umbra since 2018. He is the registrar, but his main duties also include the Italian Language and Multicultural Psychology Programs, and the coordination of the Direct-Enrollment Programs. He has lived and worked abroad (Belgium, Republic of Korea, Germany) for nine years, and gained experience in international institutions and NGOs. He is also a certified sommelier.

Registrar & Coordinator for Direct Enrollment Programs

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Alessandro Varazi is the Housing Coordinator of the Umbra Institute, where he has been working since 2017. Alessandro is a professional real estate agent, Perugia native, he graduated from the Liceo classico, and studied Philosophy at The Università degli Studi di Perugia. Having been an athlete for many years, in his free time he is a Judo teacher.

Alessandro is always available to assist the students with their apartments and daily life to ensure students have a safe and rewarding study abroad experience. 

Coordinator for Student Housing

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Caterina works in the housing office. She was born in nearby Assisi and received her Laurea in Art History at the University of Perugia with a major in Restoration of Mural Painting in Florence. Her main passion is travelling and discovering new places and cultures.

Housing Assistant

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Arianna received her Laurea in interpreting and translation from the University of Perugia in 2017. She was born and raised in Assisi, a small but well-known town (home to St. Francis) located just a few kilometers from Perugia. She is passionate about foreign languages, cultures, nature and hiking. She has been at the Umbra Institute since 2017. 

Activities Coordinator & Student Services Advisor

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Eleonora Branchesi is a Student Services Advisor. She started working at Umbra in the fall of 2019. She studied TISL (Teaching Italian as a Second Language) at the Università per Stranieri di Perugia and has a Laurea in Foreign Languages from the University of Perugia, Department of English Linguistics and Literature. She studied abroad in Tübingen (Germany) and Seattle (USA).

Coordinator for Health and Safety; Student Services Advisor

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Margherita graduated in Foreign Languages at Université Paris III Sorbonne Nouvelle and continued her Master in the field of Food Studies. She started working at Umbra Institute in December 2022. Margherita enjoys walking in nature and discovering new places. She is passionate about facilitating processes and design thinking.

Student Services Assistant

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Elvira was born in Assisi. A former scholarship recipient at Collegio dei Cavalieri del Lavoro “Lamaro Pozzani”, she earned an MA in Philosophy at the University of Rome “Tor Vergata”. She studied abroad both in Germany and the USA, where she worked as TA and cultural liaison. She started working at Umbra Institute in December 2022. Elvira is passionate about education, social innovation, and politics.

Student Services Assistant

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Clelia Viecelli is the faculty coordinator for Umbra’s Food, Sustainability and Environment program. She is a social anthropologist with an interest in wine, food, gender, and human – nonhuman relationships. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Southampton (UK) where she conducted ethnographic fieldwork among female natural winegrowers in Italy. Viecelli has published on the globalization of wine through an anthropological perspective. She is also an accredited wine taster.

FSE Program Faculty Chair

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John L. Dennis, PhD, is Chair of the Multicultural Psychology Program, Academic Board Member, and Affiliated Professor at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore’s Centre for Higher Education Internationalisation. With a strong background in cognitive science, he connects theory to students’ study abroad experiences, showing how culture shapes motivation. His research has been published in leading journals and he sits on the editorial board of academic journals in international HE and intercultural psychology. A co-founder of mixabroad.com and licensed Cognitive Behavior Therapist, he researches the impact of international experiences on students. 

MPP Program Faculty Chair

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Italian Program Faculty Chair

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Ashley began with ISI Abroad as a marketing intern and then Registrar for the Umbra Institute. From 2017, she has worked with ISI Abroad’s US Office, supervising the team’s admissions, advising, partner relations, and marketing efforts.

Raised in small-town Michigan, Ashley got her first passport during her university years and spent one semester studying in Córdoba, Argentina and an academic year in Perugia, Italy. She learned Spanish and Italian through her studies, developing a deep passion for exploring new cultures and languages, as well as for sharing these with others.

Aside from her travels and studies, Ashley spends her free time with family, exploring new music, reading (especially related to political science and science fiction), and baking.

US Office
Director of University Relations & Enrollment Management

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Gianna is the Enrollment Management and Institutional Relations Assistant in the ISI Abroad US Office. She is a graduate of The Pennsylvania State University with degrees in Global & International Studies and Spanish. She is native to the Philadelphia area and loves dogs, Penn State football and food festivals!

US Office Staff
Enrollment Management & Institutional Relations Advisor

Amanda Fontana is a member of the ISI Abroad team, serving as an Enrollment Management and Institutional Relations Assistant. She previously interned at The Umbra Institute, working with the Student Services team and with Community Engagement. She is passionate about the future of Americans studying abroad in Italy and becoming global citizens. Despite being a native of the Boston area, her favorite football team is the Ohio State Buckeyes (her alma mater). One of her favorite things about traveling and studying abroad, especially in Italy, is trying new foods and discovering the history behind each dish!

US Office Staff
Enrollment Management & Institutional Relations Assistant

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