Soraya Cipolla is a PhD Student in the Italian Studies department with an expected graduation date in May 2025. 

Do you currently, or have you in the past worked as a TA, RA, or GA? If so, list your position(s).

ITAL 101: Elementary Italian I ITAL 102: Elementary Italian II ITAL 103: Intermediate Italian I IFLIP Beginner Italian IFLIP Intermediate Italian OMSA Italian Beginner

What are your research or academic interests?

Italian Contemporary Literature Italian Cinema Queer Women History (20th and 21st centuries) Queer Theory Critical Race Theory

In 1-2 sentences, tell us more about your thesis/dissertation research.

My dissertation “Queer Specters: Sapphic Desire in Italian Literature and Cinema (1980 – 2023)” argues that sapphic desire haunts 20th and 21st-century Italian literature and cinema. This work engages with different Italian authors including Sibilla Aleramo, Goliarda Sapienza, Fausta Cialente, Alba De Céspedes, Igiaba Scego and Elena Stancanelli.

Have you received any awards or honors that you would like to highlight?

Department of French & Italian Award for Excellence in Outreach and Diversity in Spring 2024. Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning's (CITL) Teachers Ranked as Excellent by their Students in Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, and Spring 2022. Department of French & Italian Senior Award for Excellence in Teaching in Italian Spring 2022 American Association for Italian Studies Conference Graduate Students Travel Grant in Spring 2024 Department of French & Italian Summer Research Fellowship in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024.