BCSP Bologna, Via Malcontenti 3, Bologna (2026)

07/09/2026

BCSP alumni news returns today with Sarah Frances (BCSP Fall 2021, Tulane University)! 🎉
Sarah spent the weekend in Bologna with a friend who flew in from London. Today she stopped by the BCSP office and met the current students. Before starting class with Prof. Christine Dodd, Ian Raines (BCSP Fall 2026, Tulane University) chatted with Sarah about her experience in Bologna as a fellow Tulane student.
Ella Bentley Ella Bentley (BCSP Fall 2026, Northwestern University) also asked Sarah for advice about what to study at University of Bologna as a pre-med student. As we post, Sarah is travelling to University of Calabria in Rende for the IEEE Smart World Congress on virtual reality and neurodivergent youth. After graduating from Tulane in Neuroscience, Public Health and Business, Sarah completed a master’s degree at Columbia University in Public Health. Now she is back in Montreal enrolled in med school at McGill University.
Sarah is still in touch with Jaia Colognese Jaia Colognese (BCSP Fall 2021, Mount Holyoke College), Jenna Downey Jenna Downey (BCSP Fall 2021, Cornell University), Pooja Talati Pooja Talati (BCSP Fall 2021, Tulane University) and Lilly Laubenthal lilly laubenthal , an ‘honorary BCSP student’ from Tulane who was in Bologna at the same time as Sarah, Jenna and Pooja. 😊
Thank you very much, Sarah, for taking the time to visit between your travels. We wish you the best of luck through med school and many trips back to Bologna!!!

04/09/2026

Lo scorso venerdì, anche i nostri ragazzi dell’English Track si sono cimentati nella preparazione di tortelli, tortelloni e tagliatelle, guidati dalla sfoglina Rita Mattioli, che li ha accolti nella sua casa all’interno di uno storico palazzo del primo Cinquecento.
A seguire, si sono goduti un pranzo tipico a base di salumi, tigelle e friggione al ristorante Volando VOLANDO | Cucina & Arte 😋
Last Friday, our English Track students learned how to make fresh pasta and ragù with culinary expert Rita Mattioli, who welcomed them into her home in a historic 16th-century building.
Afterwards, at VOLANDO | Cucina & Arte , Alessandro presented the typical Bologna-style charcuterie and cheese selection, served with tigelle, and friggione (onion and tomato salsa). ✨

02/09/2026

BCSP alumni news summer update 🎉

After completing her research in Bologna (see a few posts ago), Olivia Metelo (BCSP Fall 2025, University of North Carolina) moved on to Amsterdam for the next part of her research project, this time to interview Dutch students on EU students' perceptions of economic anti-globalization policies.

BCSP alum Flor Macias Delgado (BCSP Spring 2009, University of Pennsylvania) -Access, Belonging & Community Specialist at IES Abroad Amsterdam- welcomed Olivia to the city and provided her with advice about where to go, what to do and see! We thank Flor for the hospitality! Olivia, we can't wait to see your research results.

We love seeing alums meet up and form connections!

01/09/2026

All’agriturismo Al di là del fiume, grazie all’aiuto e ai consigli dello sfoglino Leonardo, i ragazzi dell’Italian track del fall semester 2026, hanno imparato a preparare una tipica pasta bolognese: le tagliatelle 🍝.

Per poi godersi un’ottima cena al tramonto, tra balanzoni e tagliatelle al ragù. 😋
At Al di là del fiume farmhouse, our students learned how to make fresh pasta with chef Leonardo, who also goes by the name of “sfoglino” = traditional Italian pasta maker, specialized in the artisanal craft of rolling out fresh egg pasta dough by hand.

Then they enjoyed their dinner with typical pasta bolognese: balanzoni and tagliatelle al ragù. 🤩

01/07/2026

BCSP alumni news returns this week with Kristin Graziano (BCSP 1989-90, Indiana University) and Julie Wade (BCSP 1991-92, Indiana University)! 🎉

Kristin remembers Italian university students going on a nationwide strike for 3 months and occupying all academic departments, which, at the time, were called facolta'. As an Anthropology (and Archeology) major, Kristin was very impressed by the students' ability to be heard by their government, while protesting the possibile privatization of Italian universities. Although it was frustrating not being able to attend classes at University of Bologna for 3 months, the experience of witnessing democracy in action was priceless.

Kristin and Julie met in Bloomington in the fall of 1990 when they both got involved in the Circolo Italiano. Kristin’s enthusiasm for Bologna was what inspired Julie to study abroad with BCSP. Her love for the language and the culture led to her build a life in Italy since graduating from IU. Julie teaches English at the UniBo Language Center and through her work occasionally gets BCSP students involved at Piccola Biblioteca Spontanea

This week Kristin came for a visit to celebrate Julie’s newly granted Italian citizenship!

24/06/2026

Today BCSP alumni news is featuring Maria Chutko (BCSP Spring 2025, College of William and Mary)! 🎉

Maria recently graduated in Government with a minor in Italian and is now working for Catalyst Connection in Pittsburgh as an Assistant Grant Manager.

She is back in Italy for a family wedding in Abruzzo but made sure to take a day trip to Bologna for a stroll under the porticoes and a mortadella moment followed by gelato!

Maria remembers the ‘Giornata di Sport’ at Camplus San Felice: a day-long competition against student teams coming from Camplus residences all over Italy. Maria participated in running and volleyball. Giuliana Alleva (BCSP Spring 2025, University of Pennsylvania) joined Maria in the running competition and also played soccer. Maria encourages all future San Felice students to partake in this event!

Maria, your Italian is excellent, and you’re off to an amazing start with your career! You were such a dedicated student in Bologna, we know you’ll apply the same efforts and focus to whatever you do in the future.

Keep in touch and best of luck!

11/06/2026

BCSP alumni news is back with Olivia Metelo (BCSP Fall 2025, University of North Carolina)! 🎉

Olivia has returned to Bologna for a UNC funded research project examining EU students' perceptions of economic anti-globalization policies. Olivia is interviewing Italian students at University of Bologna. Next month she'll be in Amsterdam interviewing Dutch students on the same topic at University of Amsterdam.

This semester Olivia studied abroad through a direct exchange at University of Edinburgh, where she continued to study Politics and Public Policy.

Olivia observed: "BCSP, although a direct enrollment program, is much more structured with program support, whereas Edinburgh was a much more independent, self-guided experience."

Olivia's favorite course at UniBo was Comparative Political Economy, and it inspired her current research project!

Olivia is excited to be back in Bologna....living just two steps away from Piazza Maggiore!

Olivia, we can't wait see your research project results! So interesting and relevant!! Bravissima, la politica internazionale del futuro ha bisogno di te!!!
Avanti tutta!!!!

09/06/2026

Future BCSP students may be interested in being part of this fun local choir, just like Eva Mallamaci (BCSP Spring 2026, Indiana University). All they need to do is find Michael Brusha (BCSP 1972-73, University of Wisconsin) at his music school, Merry Melodies, right around the corner from the BCSP office! In a way this is an alumni news _collaboration_ post now that Eva has finished her semester with BCSP's English Track (we miss you, Eva!). Having studied voice definitely helped Eva learn Italian and develop an attuned, harmonious pronunciation!

Here is what Eva had to say about the experience:
"I’ve been a part of different choirs for as long as I can remember, and since being in college, much of my time has been spent in my a ca****la group. I was bummed to have to take a break from singing while studying abroad, but thankfully that ended up not being the case! Michael Brusha is a past alumnus of BCSP, but he lives in Bologna, operating a music school and performing with a jazz band around the city. I joined his choir of other English-speaking women, and had so much fun rehearsing and performing with them! The choir performs at different events around the community— the one pictured was from a kindergarten graduation 😊 I’m so grateful to have had such a great opportunity to keep doing what I love, to be involved in the community, and to meet other expats in Bologna!

Thank you also to BCSP friend Joanne Maloney for helping Eva get involved in the choir!

05/06/2026

If today starts a new BCSP "off-the-beaten-track" student travel series, then this post about the lesser known but paradisiacal nature trail SentierElsa is perfect!

Two of BCSP's English Track students, Brianna Meyer (BCSP Spring 2026, University of Wisconsin) and Eva Mallamaci (BCSP Spring 2026, Indiana University) took friends visiting from the U.S. on this Tuscan adventure!

If any future BCSP students are interested in following Brianna's and Eva's footsteps (why wouldn't you want to take pictures from a cristalline waterfall pool while studying abroad in Italy?....and it's not that far from Bologna!), here is what Brianna had to say about their escape to nature for the day:

"Recently, Eva and I (and some friends visiting from home) traveled to Colle di Val d’Elsa to hike the Sentierelsa Trail and swim in the Elsa river! It was a long day of travel but we made it a fun day trip, taking the train to Poggibonsi and then a bus down to the trail. The water was such a beautiful blue with many little waterfalls along the river. There was also a big waterfall at the end. The trail crosses the river in some spots where we had to rock-hop to continue!"

Thank you, Brianna and Eva, for sharing!

29/05/2026

BCSP alumni news is back again today with Anthony Nussmeier (BCSP 2003-04, University of Minnesota)! 🎉🎉🎉

Anthony visited BCSP yesterday afternoon. He has the distinction of having been a part of Prof. Ricci’s _very first class_ of students 22 years ago!

After his BCSP year and graduation, Anthony worked for a time at the poor man’s Wall Street (aka the Minneapolis Grain Exchange) before attending Indiana University for his Master’s and Ph.D.

Why is he in Bologna? Anthony just took part in the Notre Dame-Yale Dante Seminar at the University of Notre Dame Rome Campus and is now traveling.

Anthony lives in Dallas, Texas with his wife Kayla and their six children. He is an Associate Professor of Italian at the University of Dallas, where he also serves as Chair of the Department of Modern Languages, Director of Italian, and Chair of the Faculty Senate. Anthony writes about medieval Italian literature and is a “dantista,” and he founded an Italian cultural festival, the DFW Italian Festival, which takes place every October.

It goes without saying that his year with BCSP in Bologna was a life-changing event. He enjoys visiting Bologna as often as he can, teaches his students “dialàtt bulgnaiṡ,” and three years ago even taught an entire course on the city of Bologna. Anthony has the fondest of memories from his time with BCSP and the old office on Via Val d’Aposa, and stays in regular contact—even two decades later—with other BCSP students from his year and Italian friends he met along the way.

Anthony, it was wonderful to catch up with you yesterday. Thank you for your dedication to the thriving divulgence of Italian culture, literature and language!!!

BCSP Bologna

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