Maria R. Iusco
Senior Lecturer & Faculty Director of Salerno and Siena (Italy) Study Abroad Program
Hispanic and Italian Studies
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Contact
Building & Room:
1832 UH
Address:
601 S. Morgan St.
Email:
About
Besides teaching Italian for the past twenty years which I absolutely enjoy I also love taking students to Italy each summer and teach them about this magical country, the culture, people, food, life and more about this stupendous language of love so that they can finally use the language they are learning back at UIC.
I have been a Study Abroad Coordinator/Liaison and Italian Instructor Abroad, affiliated with the University of Illinois and UIC’s Study Abroad Office since 2002. Florence, Italy 2002; Rome, Italy 2003; Florence, Italy 2004 and 2005; Siena, Italy 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013,2015,2016,2017,2018.
I’m also currently working on adding a second study abroad program in 2019 to Salerno Italy and we will be switching off every other year between Siena, Italy and Salerno, Italy for our faculty led programs
Study Abroad:
- Initiated short one week Italy travels/ tourism for UIC students 1999-2002
- Initiated the official Faculty-Led Italy Program in 2002 ( Florence and Rome )
- Initiated the official Siena, Italy Faculty-Led program in 2006
- Initiated the official Salerno, Italy Faculty -Led program in 2019
- Approximately 400 UIC students have traveled abroad to Italy through these programs
Notable Honors
2008, Teaching Recognition Award, Council for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (UIC)
2007, Silver Circle Award, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs (Nominated by 288 graduating UIC seniors)
2005-2011, Departmental Excellence in Teaching Award, UIC Italian
Education
Laurea di Dottoressa in Lingue e Letterature Straniere, University of Bari, Italy, 1997
BA, Dominican University (formerly known as Rosary College), 1987
Professional Memberships
- American Association of Teachers of Italian
- The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages