Dr. Chiara Mazzucchelli of the College of Arts and Humanities has been named the 2019-20 Provost Fellow in the Office of the Provost and Academic Affairs.
In her part-time role that is underway, Dr. Mazzucchelli, an associate professor of Modern Languages and Literatures and the Dr. Neil Euliano Chair in Italian Studies, will work closely with leaders in the provost’s office and the Faculty Senate. She will explore ways to support the success of Faculty Senate committee chairs and help advance shared governance between faculty and UCF leaders.
The Provost Faculty Fellows Program supports developing faculty leadership by selecting each year a distinguished faculty member for opportunities to engage with academic and administrative colleagues and strategic initiatives throughout the university. In turn, the provost fellow brings new perspectives to UCF’s academic enterprise and contributes to enriching the broader campus culture.
Dr. Mazzucchelli was chosen as provost fellow from among several accomplished faculty candidates.
“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Mazzucchelli to our office and look forward to the contributions she will make to advance UCF as a model for 21st-century higher education,’’ said Dr. Elizabeth Dooley, UCF’s provost and vice president for Academic Affairs.
Dr. Mazzucchelli directs the Italian program and teaches courses in Italian language, culture, and literature. She completed the UCF Academic Leadership Academy in 2017 and collaborated with Faculty Excellence as a member of its advisory committee. She has also served as associate chair of the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures since 2016.
She is the author of The Heart and the Island: A Critical Study of Sicilian American Literature (SUNY Press, 2015) and has published articles in journals such as Italica, Nuova Prosa, Forum Italicum, Altreitalie, and Journal of Lesbian Studies. From 2009 to 2018, she was the editor-in-chief of the peer-reviewed journal VIA-Voices in Italian Americana, a semiannual literary and cultural journal dedicated to Italian-American studies. She joined UCF in 2007 as a visiting assistant professor of Italian.
“I am very grateful for this opportunity to increase my knowledge and understanding of the moving parts, key players, and vision that inspire the collective advancement of our university,” Dr. Mazzucchelli said. “I’m excited to work with the Office of the Provost and Academic Affairs to serve our faculty and students and to support UCF.”
